N. Korea marks party anniversary on modest scale

North Korea held a celebration performance in Pyongyang on Saturday marking the 81st founding anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, with leader Kim Jong-un in attendance. Patriotic songs, acrobatics and dance emphasized loyalty to the party and Kim. The event was modest compared with milestone anniversaries, and Kim did not issue a commemorative statement.

The performance took place at Pyongyang Indoor Stadium and was attended by diplomatic envoys, foreign mission members, senior party and military officials, and Pyongyang citizens.

A photo released by KCNA showed Kim Jong-un accompanied by his wife Ri Sol-ju and daughter Kim Ju-ae.

North Korea traditionally stages large military parades, mass gymnastics displays and weapons exhibitions for anniversaries ending in zero or five.

The previous year’s 80th anniversary celebrations included a late-night military parade at Kim Il Sung Square where North Korea unveiled the Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile.

Published Oct 11, 2026 7:44 am KST

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends a celebration performance for the 81st founding anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea Pyongyang Indoor Stadium, Saturday, in this photo released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) the next day. Yonhap

North Korea has held a celebration performance for the 81st founding anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea, with leader Kim Jong-un in attendance, state media reported Sunday.

Patriotic songs, acrobatics and dance filled Pyongyang Indoor Stadium the previous day in a show that stressed loyalty to the party and Kim, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

Kim, whom the article described as "representing the dignity and mightiness" of the country, waved to the audience "as a token of his congratulations to all the participants on the party founding day" and expressed satisfaction with the performance, the KCNA said.

A photo released by the KCAN shows Kim's wife, Ri Sol-ju, and daughter, Kim Ju-ae, accompanying him.

Diplomatic envoys and members of foreign missions sat alongside senior party and military officials and Pyongyang citizens, according to the report.

Kim did not issue a statement marking the anniversary.

The performance capped a series of events and gatherings marking this year's anniversary, which were modest in scale.

North Korea considers anniversaries ending in zero or five to be milestone years, and has traditionally marked them with large-scale military parades, mass gymnastics displays and weapons exhibitions.

Last year, it staged a massive late-night military parade at Kim Il Sung Square, unveiling the Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile.

A separate KCNA dispatch said party officials visited the Party Founding Museum where they were briefed on Kim's October 2025 visit to the museum, without specifying when they went.

The report said Kim "is ushering in a great heyday of building our Party in the new era and achieving comprehensive national rejuvenation."

朝鲜周六在平壤举行庆祝朝鲜劳动党成立81周年的演出，最高领导人金正恩出席。演出中表演了爱国歌曲、杂技和舞蹈，强调了对党和金正恩的忠诚。与以往的重大纪念活动相比，此次活动规模较小，金正恩也没有发表纪念声明。

演出在平壤室内体育馆举行，外交使节、外国使团成员、高级党政军官员和平壤市民出席了演出。

朝中社发布的一张照片显示，金正恩携妻子李雪主和女儿金珠爱一同现身。

朝鲜历来会在以零或五结尾的纪念日举行大型阅兵式、集体体操表演和武器展览。

前一年的80周年庆祝活动包括在金日成广场举行的深夜阅兵式，朝鲜在阅兵式上展示了火星-20洲际弹道导弹。

发布于2026年10月11日 上午7:44（韩国标准时间）

朝鲜领导人金正恩周六在平壤室内体育馆出席朝鲜劳动党成立81周年庆祝演出。这张照片由朝中社于次日发布。（韩联社）

据朝鲜官方媒体周日报道，朝鲜举行了庆祝朝鲜劳动党成立81周年的庆祝活动，最高领导人金正恩出席了活动。

据朝中社报道，前一天，平壤室内体育馆上演了爱国歌曲、杂技和舞蹈表演，强调对党和金正恩的忠诚。

据朝中社报道，金正恩在文章中被描述为“代表着国家的尊严和力量”，他向观众挥手致意，“以此向所有参加党建会纪念日的人员表示祝贺”，并对演出表示满意。

韩国文化协会发布的一张照片显示，金正恩的妻子李雪主和女儿金珠爱陪同他一起出席。

报道称，外交使节和外国使团成员与高级党政军官员和平壤市民并肩而坐。

金正恩没有就周年纪念发表声明。

这场演出为今年周年纪念的一系列活动和聚会画上了句号，这些活动和聚会的规模都比较小。

朝鲜将尾数为零或五的周年纪念日视为里程碑式的年份，并历来以大规模阅兵式、大型体操表演和武器展览来庆祝。

去年，朝鲜在金日成广场举行了一场盛大的深夜阅兵式，展示了火星-20洲际弹道导弹。

朝中社另一篇报道称，党的官员参观了建党博物馆，并听取了有关金正恩将于2025年10月访问该博物馆的简报，但没有具体说明他们何时参观。

报告称，金正恩“正在引领我们党进入新时代建设的伟大黄金时期，实现民族全面复兴”。