Officials praised Kim's leadership in developing nuclear weapons, touted his political achievements, and unveiled new portraits and exhibitions to celebrate.
Despite Russia having used hundred of powerful missiles against Ukraine in recent days, analysts and U.S. officials say many Ukrainian defenses remain intact.
The country is not known to have imported any COVID-19 vaccines, though media reports have suggested at least some key people, such as border control officials, may have been vaccinated.
International tension has been rising over a recent series of North Korean ballistic missile tests, with January being a record month with at least seven launches.
A spate of tests in January has underscored the nuclear-armed state's rapidly expanding and advancing arsenal amid stalled denuclearization talks.
The incident took place for about six hours on Wednesday morning local time, and came a day after North Korea conducted its fifth missile test this month.
North Korea’s flurry of new missile tests has underscored the importance of the country’s missile engineers and scientists, a high-profile group that remains opaque to outsiders.
In the 10 years since he came to power, North Korea has cracked down on people trying to get out of the country, leaving many defectors without hope of seeing their families again.
Satellite imagery suggests the country's current facilities for extracting the nuclear fuel are running below capacity, according to a new academic study.
North Korea has long suffered from food insecurity, with observers saying that mismanagement of the economy is exacerbated by international sanctions over its nuclear weapons.
