Day of Songun

Day of Songun is a public holiday celebrated annually on August 25th in North Korea. The holiday commemorates the beginning of Kim Jong Il’s Songun (military-first) leadership in 1960. The holiday is celebrated to honor the “military first” policy and its cultural significance lies in the importance of the military in North Korean society. The holiday is not a major celebration, but it is still an important day in North Korea’s calendar. The holiday is one of three days celebrating Kim Jong Il on the calendar, the other two being the Day of the Shining Star (his birth anniversary) and Generalissimo Day (commemorating his accession to the rank of Taewonsu).