Praising supreme leader Kim Jong Un leadership in developing nuclear weapons, touted his political achievements, North Korea unveiled new portraits and exhibitions to celebrate his 10 years in power. Monday marks ten years since the younger Kim was elected as the top party and state leader after his father, Kim Jong Il, who died in Dec. 2011.

State media unveiled a rare new official portrait of Kim on Sunday and reported that a Pyongyang museum had opened a new exhibition to showcase the achievements of his "immortal leadership".

In a speech at a national meeting on Sunday, Choe Ryong Hae, one of the most senior member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee praised the North Korean leader as "a gifted thinker and theoretician, outstanding statesman and peerlessly great commander." He further called Kim "a peerless patriot and a great defender of peace" for making North Korea "a full-fledged military power equipped with all powerful physical means of self-defense."

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The events started a week of commemorations that will also include the 110-year anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, North Korea's founder and Kim Jong Un's grandfather, on Friday. Meanwhile, Commercial satellite imagery has shown North Korean troops practicing for a military parade that could be held this week.

During these 10 years, Kim has vowed to improve residents lives and tried to boost North Korea's economy, but it suffered major contractions in recent years as it was battered by international sanctions, COVID-19 lockdown measures and bad weather. U.N. agencies have warned of possible humanitarian crises if the economy continues to deteriorate.

Analysts say North Korea could display its ICBMs at the event in a major show of power. Last month North Korea set alarm bells ringing in Seoul, Tokyo and Washington by conducting a full ICBM test for the first time since 2017, ending a self-imposed moratorium on such tests. New construction has been spotted at North Korea's nuclear test site, raising concerns that it could soon explode a weapon for the first time in five years.

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Under Kim, North Korea conducted four of its six nuclear tests, and developed massive intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that analysts believe may be capable of striking anywhere in the United States.

(Edited by : Sangam)