In the aftermath of the assassination of his half brother in Malaysia, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been spotted taking part in the birthday celebration of his late father Kim Jong-il.
 
The North Korean state-run Korean Central Television carried the video footage of Kim's appearance at events on Wednesday and Thursday.
 
At a large scale gathering of the ruling party, also attended by government and military officials, Kim Jong-un was seen grim faced even while President Kim Yong-nam of North Korean Supreme People's Assembly praised the late leader's achievements and the recent missile launch in North Korea.
 
At a separate event, Kim also paid tribute at the Geumsusan Palace of the Sun mausoleum at midnight on Thursday to mark his late father's 75th birthday.
 
The bodies of former North Korean leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il are enshrined at the Geumsusan Palace.
 
High-level government and military officials accompanied Kim during the visit, including Hwang Pyong-so, chief of the general political bureau of the Korean People's Army, and the ruling Workers' Party secretaries Kim Ki-nam and Choe Tae-bok.  
 
Kim Won-hong, who is known to have been recently sacked from his post as Minister of State Security, and Choe Ryong-hae, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party, were not present at the event, following their absence in a national Workers’ Party meeting in Pyongyang on Wednesday.
 
Since 1995, the year after the death of North Korean founder Kim Il-sung, the North has celebrated Kim Jong-il’s birthday, February 16th, as the country’s biggest holidays along with Kim Il-sung’s birthday, April 15th. 
 
The North has called Kim Jong-il’s birthday Kwangmyongsong Day, or Day of the Shining Star, since 2012. 

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