The previous leader of North Korea died three years ago, marking the beginning of a new leadership.
On Wednesday, the nation of North Korea commemorated the third anniversary of the death of Kim Jong Il. This marked the end of a traditional three year mourning process for a parent, according to Korean tradition, for the current leader. Kim Jong Un paid his tribute to his late father whose body lies in state at Kumusan Palace of the Sun in the capital city of Pyongyang.
The anniversary is not an official holiday, but according to North Korean media the citizens all paid respect to the late leader by observing three minutes of silence at midday while automobiles sounded their horns. Most activities in the nation took on a somber tone; entertainment and alcohol were not allowed during the observation of the anniversary.
The ending of the traditional mourning period for Kim Jong Un now allows him to exercise more freedom in terms of policies. He is no longer tied down by previous sentiments of his father’s methods of governing.
Though North Korea exercised solemnity at the anniversary, the Human Rights Watch released a statement that focused on the Kim Jong Il’s harmful actions and policies towards the North Korean people.
“On the third anniversary of his death, former North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Il should be remembered for presiding over systematic crimes against humanity against his own people, including a catastrophic famine,” said Human Rights Watch.
The report cited several crimes that Kim Jong Il committed, and it criticized the current actions by Kim Jong Un who “is closely following in his father’s footsteps.”
HRW mentioned the Arduous March, in which “economic mismanagement worsened by natural disasters that led to a severe famine.”
“Kim Jong-Il ensured the military and government elites survived while a still unknown number of North Koreans, estimated from several hundreds of thousands up to 3.5 million, died of starvation between 1994 and 1998, the most acute phase of the crisis,” stated HRW.
The nation of North Korea has been ruled by the Kim family for three generations. Many hope that the actions of Kim Jong Un will be different than those of his father.
