North Korean state media amplified its propaganda in praise of Kim Jong Il this week in advance of the former’s leader’s 84th birth anniversary, heralding him a “peerless patriot” who devoted his “entire soul” to the country.

Multiple exhibitions related to the holiday kicked off around the country, including a biennial art festival that opened in Pyongyang on Friday. Concerts and performances are also scheduled in the capital and local areas.

The start of the festivities comes as the DPRK simultaneously prepares for the country’s most important political event, the Ninth Party