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North Korea marks Kim Jong-il's birthday: Why's his son so quiet?

North Korea commemorated Kim Jong-il with parade, dancing, and pledges of loyalty to his son. But as usual, Kim Jong-un remained silent. 

North Koreans showered superlatives of听praise for the late 鈥淒ear Leader鈥� Kim Jong-il on what would have been his 70th birthday Thursday.

Crowds swarmed听Pyongyang鈥檚听Kim Il-sung听Square, named for Mr. Kim鈥檚 father,听who ruled for nearly half a century before dying in 1994. Kim Jong-il鈥檚 son and heir Kim Jong-un, picked by his father as the third-generation leader of the dynasty, now 鈥渟upreme leader鈥澨齩f the Army, the state, and the Workers鈥� Party, led hundreds past his father鈥檚 portrait in the memorial hall in Pyongyang where his body lies under glass.

The anniversary observances seemed to cover just about every imaginable form of tribute. Soldiers and military vehicles were on parade, bronze statues of both Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung on horseback were unveiled, figure skaters and synchronized swimmers performed in his memory, his name was gouged out of the rock on a mountain and commemorative stamps and coins were issued.

The real point of all the hoopla, however, seemed to be to project the image of Kim Jong-un as a credible leader of a country suffering from endemic hunger and disease after years of economic mismanagement and devastating central planning. But as usual, Kim Jong-un uttered no words in public 鈥� a silence in the tradition of his father, who in his years in power was heard to speak only a sentence or two on public occasions.

Instead, as when Kim Jong-un appeared the day after his father's funeral, he left the talking to Kim Yong-nam, the octogenarian titular head of state.

Since his father鈥檚 death, Kim Jong-un has appeared on camera frequently of late visiting mainly military units 鈥� a campaign to show that he is perpetuating his father鈥檚 military first policy. The aim is to prove the young man is capable of leading the country despite his inexperience.

At what the Korean Central News Agency called 鈥渁 national meeting,鈥� Kim Yong-nam, chairman of the presidium of the Supreme People鈥檚 Assembly, hailed Kim Jong-il for 鈥渓eading the most brilliant life of a peerlessly great man鈥� and making his country 鈥渁 nuclear state.鈥� As if all of that wasn't enough, Kim Jong-il was posthumously promoted to "Generalissimo."听

The observances for Kim Jong-il鈥檚 birthday were a preview of much more elaborate ceremonies, long in planning, for the 100^听 year听anniversary in April of the birth of Kim Il-sung. The idea on that occasion is to demonstrate North Korea鈥檚 rise as a 鈥渟trong and prosperous nation鈥� in displays dramatizing the enduring power of a dynasty that has ruled the North since 鈥淕reat Leader鈥� Kim Il-sung, a former Soviet Army captain, was installed by Russian forces at the end of World War II.

鈥淣orth Korea听is concentrating on how to legitimize the son鈥檚 leadership,鈥� says Kim Tae-woo, a long-time military analyst who is now president of the Korea Institute of National Unification. 鈥淗e鈥檚 in the middle of a regency system,鈥� says Mr. Kim, led by his uncle, Jang Song-thaek who is married to Kim Jong-il鈥檚 younger sister.

鈥淪ooner or later,鈥� Kim Tae-woo predicts, 鈥減roblems will be revealed.鈥�

Kim Yong-nam indicated the underlying insecurity as he called on 鈥渁ll the party members, servicepersons and people鈥� to 鈥減rotect听Kim Jong-un听politically and ideologically with their lives and get united around him.鈥�

As if to fend off criticism, KimYong-nam upheld 鈥渢he spirit of single-minded unity to invariably defend the center of the unity and the center of the leadership no matter how much water may flow under the bridge.鈥�

The reference to water flowing 鈥渦nder the bridge鈥� in the official Korean Central News Agency article听suggested dissent beneath the surface.

鈥淚n听Pyongyang听they celebrate the anniversary,鈥� says Kim Bum-soo, editor and publisher of a political journal in听Seoul, 鈥渂ut they can鈥檛 keep going like this.鈥�