North Korea has ceased using its “juche,” or self-reliance, calendar — a system of year numbering symbolizing its late founder Kim Il-sung — in what appears to be the latest effort to reinforce Kim Jong-un’s position as the nation’s sole leader.

Under this calendar, Kim Il-sung’s birth year, 1912, is considered Juche 1. The calendar was officially adopted in 1997, three years after he died of heart failure. North Korea has used the juche calendar, along with the Gregorian calendar.

While Kim Jung-un’s speech on Oct. 10 and the foreign ministry statement on Oct. 11 referred to this year as Juche 113, a statement by Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of the North’s leader, issued on Saturday referred to the year as “2024,” without any mention of the juche calendar.

The Rodong Sinmun, North Korea’s main newspaper targeting its domestic audience, used the juche calendar both in its print edition and on its website Saturday. However, starting Sunday, the newspaper has ceased using the system in favor of the
Gregorian calendar.

Halting the use of the juche calendar after 27 years is seen as a reflection of Kim Jong-un’s desire to assert his own leadership and not rely on the legacy of his predecessors.

“This seems to be part of Kim Jong-un’s efforts to establish his own independent cult of personality, which has been evident since the start of this year,” a unification ministry official said on condition of anonymity.

The official also said North Korea is likely to make gradual changes to the juche calendar rather than ceasing its use all at once.

In July, a photograph published by the state-run Korean Central News Agency showed the iconic pin featuring Kim Jong-un being prominently displayed on the suit jackets of North Korean officials.

Source: Yonhap News Agency