Day of Songun

The Day of Songun (Korean: 선군절; MR: Sŏn'gun-jŏl[1]) is a public holiday in North Korea celebrated on 25 August annually to commemorate the beginning of Kim Jong-il's Songun (military-first) leadership in 1960.

Day of Songun
Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl
선군절
Hancha
先軍節
Revised RomanizationSeongunjeol
McCune–ReischauerSŏn'gun-jŏl
Day of Songun celebrations by the Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang
Observed by North Korea
SignificanceBeginning of the Songun leadership of Kim Jong-il (1960)
ObservancesFlying the flags of North Korea and the Supreme Commander of the KPA, galas, dancing parties, concerts, laying bouquets, and visiting historic sites
Date25 August
Next time25 August 2021 (2021-08-25)
FrequencyAnnual
First time2013

In 2013, Kim Jong-un elevated the holiday to an official status on the North Korean calendar, on par with the Day of the Sun (birth anniversary of Kim Il-sung). Thus it became the holiday associated with Kim Jong-un, with his own birthday still missing from the official calendar. This has helped to further Kim Jong-un's charismatic rule.[2] According to North Korea analyst Adam Cathcart,[3] the purpose of the holiday is "to reinforce Kim Jong-un's legitimacy to rule, confirm the principle of very early succession and young leadership, and emphasize the preternatural military abilities of the sons in the Kim family."[4]

On the calendar, the 25 August holiday takes place after the Liberation Day (15 August) and before the Day of the Foundation of the Republic (인민정권_창건일) (9 September). Day of Songun is one of three days celebrating Kim Jong-il on the calendar, the other two being the Day of the Shining Star (his birth anniversary) and Generalissimo Day (commemorating his accession to the rank of Taewonsu).[5]

Background

Songun (military-first) is the political ideology peculiar to North Korea that all problems in society can be corrected by giving priority to military affairs. Its roots are traced to Kim Il-sung's activities during the anti-Japanese struggle of the 1930s,[6] but it is especially identified with Kim Jong-il. Lately, Songun has been associated with Kim Jong-un in his effort balance the interests of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea and the Korean People's Army (KPA).[7] According to Fyodor Tertitskiy, the term has largely lost its original meaning and now simply means anything "good". Consequentially, Day of Songun is not so much about the army as it is about the person of Kim Jong-il.[8]

Until 2005, the history of Kim Jong-il's Songun leadership was presented as having begun on 1 January 1995 with his visit to a guard-post. After 2005, the date was backtracked to 1960 to suggest a much longer held tradition.[9] The Day of Songun commemorates his supposed 25 August 1960 inspection of the Seoul Ryu Kyong Su Guards 105th Tank Division with his father Kim Il-sung. The visit is considered the beginning of his Songun leadership. Although Jong-il would have been 18 then and not yet started his studies at Kim Il-sung University,[4] according to, Tertitskiy, "[t]he date looks right, as it seemingly the date when Kim Jong Il made his first steps up the political ladder".[8]

History
Military units fly the Standard of the Supreme Commander of the KPA on the day.

The commemoration was not a major celebration under Kim Jong-il's rule,[10] but there had been annual celebrations even before the holiday was officially instituted.[9] Plans for an official holiday surfaced in 2012,[4] and the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported some celebration of a "Day of Songun" already back then.[11] Kim Jong-un delivered a speech during the 2012 festivities,[12] entitled "Only Victory and Glory Will Be in Store for Us Who are Advancing under the Unfurled Flag Bearing the Immortal Beaming Images of the Great Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il".[13]

The next year, on 25 August 2013, Kim Jong-un officially announced the holiday in a long speech,[2] entitled "Let Us Forever Glorify Comrade Kim Jong Il's Great Idea and Achievements of the Military-First Revolution", published in Rodong Sinmun and Joson Inmingun.[14] In it, Kim Jong-un declared:

The Day of Songun, when General Kim Jong Il started his leadership of the Songun revolution, is, together with the day of the founding of the KPA (Korean People's Army), a historic day when an important milestone was set up for the history of building up our revolutionary armed forces and the history of our country. As there was this significant day, a historic turn could be brought about in developing our revolutionary armed forces and implementing the cause of the Juche revolution, and the history and traditions of our sacred Songun revolution that had been pioneered and developed by force of arms, achieving victory, could be carried forward continuously.[15]

The next day, 26 August, a decree on instituting the Day of Songun as an annual national holiday was adopted by the Supreme People's Assembly.[16]

Celebrations

The Day of Songun is marked with flying the flag of North Korea, by civilians, and the flag of the Supreme Commander of the KPA by military units.[16] Observances include galas for service people, dancing parties around the country,[9] outdoor concerts,[17] laying bouquets, and visiting historic sites.[18]

See also

References
  1. Cathcart, Adam (3 September 2013). "A Tale of Two and a Half Visits: Wu Dawei, and Rodman vs. The King". Sino-NK. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  2. "Kim Jong-un within Songun Legacy Politics". Sino-NK. 20 December 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  3. "Adam Cathcart". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  4. Cathcart, Adam (25 August 2015). "'Day of Songun' and the Ongoing Succession Process in North Korea". adamcathcart.com. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  5. Cho Jong Ik (25 December 2013). "2014 Calendar Reveals Few Surprises". Daily NK. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  6. Hoare, James E. (2012). "Songun ('Army First' Policy)". Historical Dictionary of Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Lanham: Scarecrow Press. p. 352. ISBN 978-0-8108-7987-4.
  7. Armstrong, Charles (2013). "The Role and Influence of Idelogy". In Park, Kyung-Ae; Snyder, Scott (eds.). North Korea in Transition: Politics, Economy, and Society. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 5–6. ISBN 978-1-4422-1812-3.
  8. Tertitskiy, Fyodor (24 August 2018). "The meaning of North Korea's "Songun Day"". NK News. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  9. Moon Eun Ju (28 August 2014). "Defectors Say Day of Songun Is No Holiday". Daily NK. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  10. O'Carrol, Chad (25 August 2014). "At anniversary event, official calls for N. Korean defense industry to modernize". NK News. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  11. "DPRK's Day of Songun Marked Worldwide". KCNA. 15 September 2012. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  12. 2013 White Paper on Korean Unification (PDF). Seoul: Ministry of Unification. 2013. p. 22. OCLC 903278086.
  13. Kim Jong-un (25 August 2012). "Only Victory and Glory Will Be in Store for Us Who are Advancing under the Unfurled Flag Bearing the Immortal Beaming Images of the Great Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il". Association for the Study of Songun Politics UK. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  14. "Kim Jong-un and the Songun Retrenchment: A Quintessential Equation". Sino-NK. 30 November 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  15. "Kim Jong Un Publishes Talk on Day of Songun". KCNA. 25 August 2013. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  16. "Day of Songun Instituted as National Holiday in DPRK". KCNA. 28 August 2013. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  17. Talmadge, Eric (25 August 2016). "NKorea missile test adds to 'Military First' celebration". The Big Story. Associated Press. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  18. McGrath, Matthew (28 August 2013). "NK Media Watch – Aug 21 to 27". NK News. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
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