Day of Songun

Day of Songun
Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl	선군절
Revised Romanization	Seongunjeol
McCune–Reischauer	Sŏn'gun-jŏl
Day of Songun celebrations by the Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang
Observed by	North Korea
Significance	Beginning of the Songun leadership of Kim Jong-il (1960)
Observances	Flying the flags of North Korea and the Supreme Commander of the KPA, galas, dancing parties, concerts, laying bouquets, and visiting historic sites
Date	25 August
Next time	25 August 2017 (2017-08-25)
Frequency	Annual
First time	2013

The Day of Songun (Korean: 선군절) is a public holiday in North Korea celebrated on 25 August annually to commemorate the beginning of Kim Jong-il's Songun (military-first) leadership in 1960.

In 2013, Kim Jong-un elevated the holiday to an official status on the North Korean calendar, on par with the Day of the Sun (birth anniversary of Kim Il-sung). Thus it became the holiday associated with Kim Jong-un, with his own birthday still missing from the official calendar. This has helped to further Kim Jong-un's charismatic rule. According to North Korea analyst Adam Cathcart, the purpose of the holiday is "to reinforce Kim Jong-un's legitimacy to rule, confirm the principle of very early succession and young leadership, and emphasize the preternatural military abilities of the sons in the Kim family."

On the calendar, the 25 August holiday takes place after the Liberation Day (15 August) and before the Day of the Foundation of the Republic () (19 September). Day of Songun is one of three days celebrating Kim Jong-il on the calendar, the other two being the Day of the Shining Star (his birth anniversary) and Generalissimo Day (commemorating his accession to the rank of Taewonsu).

Songun (military-first) is the political ideology peculiar to North Korea that all problems in society can be corrected by giving priority to military affairs. Its roots are traced to Kim Il-sung's activities during the anti-Japanese struggle of the 1930s, but it is especially identified with Kim Jong-il. Lately, Songun has been associated with Kim Jong-un in his effort balance the interests of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea and the Korean People's Army (KPA).