Pyongyang: North Korea is set to observe an extended Lunar New Year holiday this year, coinciding with the national holiday that marks the birthday of the late former leader, Kim Jong-il. This change results in a rare three-day holiday for the country.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the usual one-day Lunar New Year holiday, which this year falls on a Tuesday, is extended due to its proximity to Kim Jong-il's birthday on the preceding Monday. This extension aligns North Korea's holiday duration with South Korea's traditional three-day celebration. Historically, North Korea has celebrated the new year based on the Western calendar, in contrast to South Korea's more elaborate Lunar New Year festivities.

North Korea originally dismissed the traditional Korean holiday as a feudal relic but reinstated it along with Chuseok in 1989 during Kim Jong-il's regime. The holiday now serves not just as a time for honoring ancestors but also for celebrating the legacies of the country's late leaders, including state founder Kim Il-sung, and reinforcing loyalty to current leader Kim Jong-un.

During the Lunar New Year, it is customary for North Koreans to pay respects at the Kumsusan mausoleum in Pyongyang, where the bodies of the two late leaders are preserved, or to visit their statues across the nation to lay flowers. Despite travel restrictions, dining establishments remain open and busy throughout the holiday period, as travel to other regions or hometowns requires special permission.