Pyongyang: North Korea marked the 83rd birthday of the late leader Kim Jong-il, with its propaganda machine calling for loyalty to Kim's son and current leader, Kim Jong-un, according to the North's state media Sunday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the North's Rodong Sinmun newspaper published articles celebrating the late leader and in an editorial urged the North Korean people to "hold up" the regime under Kim Jong-un. The editorial highlighted Kim Jong-il's legacy of patriotism and said that his efforts have been "brilliantly inherited and developed by Comrade Kim Jong-un."

The editorial also focused on the late leader's contributions to military advancements, noting that North Korea's "self-defensive national defense has reached the highest level in the world today." Similar sentiments were echoed by the North's foreign ministry in an article on its website.

In addition to the media coverage, an event was held by the North Korean Embassy in Beijing on Saturday to commemorate Kim Jong-il's birth anniversary. The event, reported by North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), was attended by Zhou Qiang, vice chairperson of China's National Committee of the People's Political Consultative Conference, and other Chinese officials.

It was noted that since 2022, there have been no reports of Kim Jong-un visiting the mausoleum for Kim Jong-il's birthday on February 16 or Kim Il-sung's birthday on April 15.