North Korea has unveiled a rare statue of its living leader Kim Jong Un, depicting him as a smiling, approachable figure in a break from tradition.

SEOUL: North Korea has unveiled one of its first-known statues of current leader Kim Jong Un.

The “highly unusual” sculpture depicts him as a smiling, approachable figure, according to an analyst.

State-run Korean Central Television recently broadcast images of the half-body sculpture. It shows Kim smiling warmly with his right hand tucked in his coat pocket.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry confirmed it was the first such work depicting the third-generation leader. “As far as we know, this is the first time it has been identified,” the department said on Wednesday.

The nation is dotted with massive statues venerating Kim’s grandfather Kim Il Sung and his father Kim Jong Il. Such honours are typically reserved for the dead, making this sculpture “highly unusual”, said expert Lim Eul-chul.

“North Korea is now moving toward the peak of a leader-focused cult,” said Lim from the Institute for Far Eastern Studies. “The statue is particularly notable because it is highly unusual for the regime to create a monument of a leader who is still alive.”

Lim told AFP the work stood out for its efforts to portray Kim as a more relatable figure. “Rather than depicting him as a god-like figure, the North is likely to promote a narrative portraying him as a leader who earns people’s respect,” he said.

North Korea releases highly choreographed images to illustrate Kim’s absolute grip on power. He has been shown riding a white horse up a sacred mountain and mobbed by fawning soldiers.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping gifted North Korea a half-body bust of Kim during a 2019 visit to Pyongyang.

This new statue appears to be a domestically produced monument.

 The Sun Malaysia