324K views · 1K reactions | North Korea marked over the weekend the 20th anniversary of former leader Kim Jong Il being elected as the General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea. Thousands gathered in Kim Il-sung Square for the celebrations. | TIME | Facebook

When Kim Jong-il died in 2011, North Korea entered a highly choreographed period of national mourning. State media broadcast crowds weeping, collapsing, and crying out in the streets. Although some reactions were sincere, many were almost certainly organized by the government to project unity and loyalty. Public grief served as both a cultural tradition and a political instrument, helping the regime manage the transition of power to his son, Kim Jong-un. | Historyinmemes