It’s not often you see the Supreme Leader of North Korea shed a tear, but Kim Jong-un has shown his softer side whilst offering the country an apology.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has offered a tearful apology whilst addressing his country at a military parade held in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ party.
In a rare display of emotion, Kim took off his glasses and wiped away tears as he took responsibility for his recent failure to lead the country through turbulent times including the coronavirus pandemic, ongoing international sanctions, and natural disasters.
Apologising to North Koreans for the daily hardships they must endure, Kim described: “Our people have placed trust, as high as the sky and as deep as the sea, in me, but I have failed to always live up to it satisfactorily. I am really sorry for that.”
“Although I am entrusted with the important responsibility to lead this country upholding the cause of the great comrades Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il thanks to the trust of all the people, my efforts and sincerity have not been sufficient enough to rid our people of the difficulties in their lives,” he continued, referencing his grandfather and father who both served as leaders before him, as reported by The Guardian.
Kim Jong-un cries during rare apology to North Korean people pic.twitter.com/jhXheEpEwd
— The Independent (@Independent) October 12, 2020
Whilst the country has reportedly gotten through much of the pandemic unscathed – reporting zero coronavirus cases – it has suffered economically due to falling trade with China following border closures, as well as years of international sanctions due to Jong-un’s nuclear weapons. According to a study by Vienna University, about 60 per cent of North Koreans live in dire poverty, making it one of the poorest countries on Earth.
The parade also featured the unveiling of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), one of the largest in the world, which is capable of reaching the US. Despite meeting with US President Donald Trump three times during his tenure, Kim has continued his testing of long-range weapons. America and North Korea have so far failed to come to any agreement over the latter’s nuclear program.
“The Eighth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea will advance plans and detailed targets for doing it, and our party’s struggle for providing the people with happiness will develop onto a new stage,” Kim described.
All those love letters from Trump to Kim Jong-Un really paid off. https://t.co/Qb41qs1ol7
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) October 10, 2020
