North Korea’s Kim turns 40. But there are no public celebrations of his birthday

By HYUNG-JIN KIM and JIWON SONG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un turns 40 on Monday with no announced public celebrations at home. He entered the new year with artillery barrages into the sea and vows to expand his nuclear arsenal. Since taking power in late 2011, Kim, the third generation of his family to rule North Korea, is believed to have established an absolute leadership similar to his predecessors. But his birthday has yet to be officially celebrated, unlike his late father  and grandfather. Their birthdays are two of the North’s biggest holidays.Some observers speculate Kim may think he’s still relatively too young or needs bigger achievements to hold lavish birthday festivities. Others say he wants to avoid drawing attention to his late Japan-born mother.