Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un paid his highest tribute to late state leader and his father Kim Jong-il at the family mausoleum Wednesday, marking the 14th anniversary of his death, state media reported.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang at midnight, accompanied by government and party officials. He paid tribute to the late leader and prayed "for his immortality," as reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, which serves as the family mausoleum, houses the embalmed bodies of North Korea's founder Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il.

Kim Jong-il passed away on December 17, 2011, at the age of 70. He had inherited the leadership from his father, Kim Il-sung, and passed it on to his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, who has continued the tradition of paying homage at the family mausoleum annually on his father's death anniversary, with the exception of 2022.

During the visit, Kim Jong-un bowed before the statues of both late leaders, and flower baskets were laid before the statues as a sign of respect. The KCNA reported that all visitors pledged their loyalty to Kim Jong-un's ideology and leadership, which they believe honors the achievements of Kim Jong-il by advancing national rejuvenation.

The visit included members of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the ruling party, officials from the party's Central Committee, members of the cabinet, and army service members, according to the agency.