April 19, 2024
Analysis

Brace Yourselves, The Kim Jong Un Badges Are Coming

Reports from Pyongyang suggest that some members of North Korea's top security agency are being issued with Kim Jong Un badges

Is this what a Kim Jong Un loyalty badge might look like? According to a recent report from the Daily NK, sources in Pyongyang are saying that Kim Jong Un badges are being distributed to Ministry of State Security cadres based in Pyongyang. According to the source, “[the badges] aim is to instill a sense of mission; namely, to be on the frontline defending Marshal Kim Jong [Un] and military-first Chosun.”

This wouldn't be the first time that Ministry of State Security personell have been issued with special badges: even before his death, bodyguards and security agents close to Kim Jong Il were said to wear badges depicting his face, instead of the standard Kim Il Sung badge worn by the rest of the population. After Kim Jong Il's death, many government officials started to wear two circular loyalty badges, one of Kim Jong Il's face on a white background, and another of Kim Il Sung's face on red but this "fashion" seems to have died down as more and more people are issued with the new "twin" lapel badges (see illustration below). Some sources have even claimed that the new, larger, twin badges are more fashionable for nostalgic reasons – they're more like the retro badges worn in the 1970s.

Become a member for less than $4 per week.

  • Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis
  • The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop
  • Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns
  • Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting
Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts.
Subscribe now

All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time.