A siren blared for three minutes at midday on Friday in North Korea and citizens fell silent and bowed in respect for Kim Jong-Il, according to the Associated Press.
From then, North Korea will observe mourning on the 10th death anniversary of Kim || Sung, father of Kim Jong ||.
Kim Jong-un’s father Kim Jong-Il ruled North Korea from 1994 to 2011. He died due to a heart attack at the age of 69 on December 17, 2011.
The Great mourning in the country
At a square in Pyongyang, people marked the anniversary by bowing their heads in silence before portraits of Kim Jong Il and his father Kim Il Sung, the founder of North Korea.
The country is currently ruled by the absolute monarch, Kim Jong Un. According to a video shown by the socialist state’s official broadcaster, the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday attended a ceremony to remember his father Kim Jong Il, who died ten years ago.
The government censored the newspaper remembered Kim Jong-Il and asked the citizens to follow the path of his son.
“Great leader and comrade Kim Jong Il is always with us … and he is the eternal suryong’ and sun of juche (self-reliance)’ of our party and revolution,” the North’s main Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in an editorial, referring to a revered title reserved for North Korean leaders.
Citizens banned from laughing, drinking, and shopping
The hazardous special COVID restrictions in North Korea has got an addition from Friday. The North Koreans are banned from laughing, drinking, and shopping during 11days of mourning.
The government imposed these restrictions for an extra 11th day this year as it’s the 10th death anniversary of Kim Jong-Il .
The residents explained the mourning period,
During the mourning period, we must not drink alcohol, laugh or engage in leisure activities,” a resident of the northeastern border city of Sinuiju told Radio Free Asia’s Korean Service.
The outcome of breaking the ban can result in harsh punishments. A citizen also reported the outcome of what happened when people broke the rules
“In the past, many people who were caught drinking or being intoxicated during the mourning period were arrested and treated as ideological criminals,” the unnamed citizen said adding, “They were taken away and never seen again.”
“Residents can’t go grocery shopping, The offenders will be arrested as it happens every year”, the resident added.
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