North Korea marks birth of late leader Kim Jong Il

People in North Korea marked the birth of their late leader Kim Jong Il on Thursday with flowers, chanting, dancing and treats for children.

The anniversary, known as the Day of the Shining Star in the reclusive nation, saw children and adults take to the streets to commemorate what would have been Kim Jong Il’s 75th birthday, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.

The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said the day was also marked in Russia and Sweden and commemorated by Swiss organizations.

It came three days after the death of Kim Jong Nam, Kim Jong Il’s eldest son and the half-brother of current leader Kim Jong Un.  Kim Jong Nam died Monday at the age of 46 following an apparent poisoning at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia.

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There has been no mention of Kim Jong Nam’s death in North Korea's official media, according to the Associated Press.

Kim Jong Il died of a heart attack in 2011 after 17 years of rule and was succeeded by his son Kim Jong Un, 33.

Kim Jong Un paid tribute to his father Thursday and attended an national gathering to mark the day with military and government officials in Pyongyang.

Wearing a dark pin-striped suit, he was grim-faced and did not wave when he left the venue, state TV footage showed, according to Yonhap.

The birthday of Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il's father and the founder of the nation, falls on April 15 and is known as the Day of the Sun. Kim Il Sung became president in 1972 and died of a heart attack in 1994 at the age of 82.