North Korean state media made no mention of leader Kim Jong‑un’s birthday, which is widely believed to fall on Thursday.

Instead, the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the ruling Workers’ Party, ran a front‑page editorial urging officials to strengthen ideological discipline ahead of the Ninth Party Congress scheduled for early this year.

The Korean Central News Agency(KCNA), North Korea’s outlet for foreign audiences, also did not mention Kim’s birthday, reporting only on efforts by the Cabinet and economic agencies to bolster organizational work for the upcoming congress.

Kim is believed to have been born on January 8, 1984, though the regime has never officially confirmed his date of birth.

That assumption stems from a 2014 KCNA report quoting former NBA player Dennis Rodman as saying he visited North Korea for Kim’s birthday.

Despite more than a decade in power, Kim’s birthday has never been officially commemorated or prominently highlighted in state media, unlike those of his predecessors.