Kim Jong Un makes hundreds of people stand in the freezing cold to hear a speech about his father 

North Korean officials including Kim Jong Un braced freezing temperatures to listen to a speech celebrating the Kim family’s dictatorship over the secretive country.

Hundreds of attendees braced maximum temperatures of 5F (-15C) to attend the 30 minute speech on the 80th anniversary of the birth of Kim Jong Il, who died in 2011.

The celebration was held outside in the northern city of Samjiyon, according to NK News.

Hundreds of attendees braced maximum temperatures of 5F (-15C) to attend the 30 minute speech

North Korean official Ri Il Hwan praised Kim Jong Il for challenging ‘US imperialists’ and providing a ‘stepping stone’ and leaving a ‘revolutionary legacy’ for Kim Jong Un, according to state media.

The speech lasted for around 30 minutes. 

Colin Zwirko of NK News spotted a large clump of wires running underneath the stage’s red carpet which he suggested could be heaters for the communist state’s elite while attendees could be seen without gloves or ear coverings.

Colin Zwirko of NK News spotted a large clump of wires running underneath the stage’s red carpet which he suggested could be heaters for the communist state’s elite

North Korea claims that Kim Jong Il was born in Samjiyon in 1942, but Soviet records suggest he was actually born in eastern Russia. 

The event held on Tuesday was part of a National Meeting that was the first held since July 2019 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

These events usually take place on the day before major holidays, including the birthdays of former and current leaders.