North Korea celebrates 10 years of Kim Jong-un's reign

Today marks 10 years since Kim Jong-un became the supreme leader of the DPRK, replacing his father Kim Jong Il in this post, Reuters reports. In honor of this date, events will be held throughout the week in the country, one of which will be the memorial day of Kim Il Sung, the founder of North Korea and the grandfather of Kim Jong-un: on Friday he will turn 110 years old.

The festive week began on Sunday with a nationwide gathering at which Choi Ren-hae, chairman of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, spoke. In his speech, he paid tribute to Kim Jong-un as "a gifted thinker and theorist, an outstanding statesman and an incomparably great commander." Choi Ren-hae thanked the leader of the DPRK for turning the country into a "full-fledged military power, equipped with all powerful means of self-defense." Four of the six nuclear tests that were carried out in North Korea took place under Kim Jong-un. The country has developed intercontinental ballistic missiles that analysts say are capable of reaching anywhere in the United States.

Despite unprecedented difficulties, Choi Ren-hae said in his speech, Kim Jong-un opened a new era for North Korea as a powerful socialist nation, prospering and developing on the basis of self-sufficiency.

North Korean state media have released a new official portrait of the party leader. An exhibition has opened at the Pyongyang Museum, which demonstrates the achievements of the "brilliant comrade" and "genius among geniuses."

Satellite data shows that the North Korean army is preparing for a military parade likely to take place this week. On it, according to analysts, the DPRK can show its weapons.