N. Korea unlikely to mark Kim's 2017 birthday with public holiday

BEIJING. KAZINFORM - The birthday of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will not likely be designated as a public holiday again next year, a new calendar showed Monday, Kyodo reports.

A North Korean calendar for 2017 obtained by Kyodo News does not show Jan. 8, his birthday which next year falls on Sunday, as a public holiday.

There was speculation that North Korea may mark Jan. 8 with a public holiday for the first time next year as it said last month that the celebratory mood of a series of planned events to sing the praises of three generations of the ruling Kim family will be boosted from his next birthday.

The birthdays of North Korea's previous two leaders on Feb. 16 and April 15 are celebrated each year with national holidays and various events.

In 1995, when North Korea for the first time designated the birthday of his father, Kim Jong Il, as a public holiday, it was suddenly announced on Feb. 7 of that year, just days in advance.

So, there remains a slight possibility that the birthday of the current leader, who inherited power following the death of his father in December 2011, may be treated in a different way starting from next year.

Source: Kyodo