Kim Jong Un and family mark Korea's liberation from Japan at Pyongyang ceremonies

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accompanied by his wife Ri Sol Ju and daughter Kim Ju Ae, took part in official ceremonies on Friday marking the anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan, according to images released by state media.

The photographs, distributed by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Saturday, show the leader and his family alongside senior officials at the Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery on the outskirts of Pyongyang. The site honours those the North designates as "revolutionary martyrs" and includes a monument dedicated to "anti-Japanese revolutionary fighters."

In the released images, Kim is seen laying wreaths and flowers at the cemetery and at the Monument to Fallen Anti-Japanese Revolutionary Fighters. The family and officials are also shown bowing in tribute at the memorial grounds.

The delegation also visited the Liberation Tower in central Pyongyang, a monument commemorating the Soviet Union's role in the 1945 defeat of Japan and its subsequent advance across the northern Korean Peninsula. The tower features Soviet-era symbols, including a hammer and sickle decoration.

The observance comes as North Korea has increasingly highlighted its historical ties with Moscow, particularly in the context of its recent alignment with Russia amid the war in Ukraine. The anniversary marks 81 years since Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule.