North Korea has emphasized loyalty to its leader, Kim Jong-un, with the commencement of a congress of children in an apparent effort to drum up internal unity.

The Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the regime’s ruling Workers’ Party, said on Monday that certificates were given out to those participating in the ninth Congress of the Korean Children’s Union on Sunday, indicating the start of the event.

The newspaper urged the members of the union to make “more stubborn preparations” as “true sons and daughters of the mother country” led by Kim.

Arguing that no children elsewhere across the globe enjoy as much happiness as those in the North, the media outlet said the latest assembly will serve as a chance to further develop the congress of young patriots into a revolutionary group.

The union, which requires participation by all those aged seven to 14 in the North, reportedly has some three million members. It is only the third time the union has convened since Kim took power, with the two previous editions, each held in 2013 and 2017, both attended by him.

The latest gathering draws additional attention to the possible attendance of Kim’s second child, Ju-ae, amid speculation that she may be his heir.

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