Emotional Appeal for Population Growth:
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was visibly emotional as he addressed thousands of women at Pyongyang’s National Mothers’ Meeting, urging them to address the alarming decline in the country’s birth rate.
A Leader’s Tears:
In a rare display of vulnerability, Kim Jong Un was pictured drying his eyes with a handkerchief during his impassioned plea for the women to contribute to reversing the declining birth rate.
Urgent Housekeeping Duties:
Kim emphasized the importance of preventing a decline in birth rates, framing it as a collective “housekeeping duty” that all mothers need to address.
He stressed the need for good childcare while instilling the values of the communist party in their children.
National Mothers’ Meeting After 11 Years:
The gathering marked the first National Mothers’ Meeting in 11 years and was organized in response to the growing concern over North Korea’s decreasing birth rate. Women, dressed in traditional multi-colored robes, wept alongside their leader.
Shared Responsibilities for Mothers:
Addressing the audience as “Dear Mothers,” Kim outlined various social tasks that mothers should join forces to tackle. These tasks included promoting family harmony, eliminating non-socialist practices, and establishing a sound cultural and moral life.
Collective Effort for Social Tasks: Kim emphasized the collective responsibility of mothers in bringing up children who would carry forward the revolution.
Common Family Affairs:
He called for unity in addressing societal challenges, including stopping the declining birth rate and ensuring effective education and care for children. In closing, Kim reiterated that the outlined tasks were common family affairs that needed to be addressed collectively.
He called for mothers to join hands in fostering communist virtues, promoting social unity, and ensuring a positive cultural and moral environment in the society.