The portrait of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was publicly displayed along with those of his father and grandfather for the first time, sparking speculation about the message it sends.
Portraits of leaders are at the core of North Korea’s state-sponsored cult of personality that has buttressed the Kim family’s rule since the country’s foundation in 1948. Almost all homes and public offices in North Korea must have portraits of Kim’s father Kim Jong Il and grandfather Kim Il Sung, but featuring that of the younger Kim hadn’t yet been a requirement until recently.
