Pyongyang ties loyalty to Kim mausoleum donations

Pyongyang authorities have begun a fundraising campaign for the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, which runs until the end of 2026. While officials claim the effort is voluntary, it ties individuals' donations to assessments of political loyalty, causing citizens to complain about the added financial burden. The city party committee ordered work units to raise money for the maintenance and preservation of the mausoleum, where the embalmed bodies of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are housed.

The regime treats the site as a symbol of Kim Jong Un's right to rule. The campaign, branded a "patriotic project of loyalty," runs for about three months. It extends to state agencies, enterprises, universities, schools, and neighborhood watch units. Officials have enlisted senior party and government officials, as well as workers known as "labor innovators," to lead the drive.

They have also distributed an ideological study document praising Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, and calling the mausoleum an "eternal sacred site of the sun" that must be defended. Loyalty to the palace is measured in cash, and units face pressure to show heartfelt loyalty. The campaign is seen as an ideological effort to defend the authority of the supreme leader and deepen ideological unity among the population.

It has left Pyongyang residents frustrated and fatigued as another cash demand arrives before the end of the year.