A large, official portrait of Kim Jong Un was displayed for the first time in Pyongyang this week. The painting was unveiled during Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel’s official diplomatic visit to the North. This recent development is significant as it’s the first time the young North Korean leader has taken such a concrete step to elevate his image to a similar status to that of his father and grandfather.

Kim’s portrait was displayed next to one depicting the Cuban president. The portrait’s design is strikingly similar to those of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il which adorn walls around the country. It looks like–after holding power for six years– Kim Jong Un is ready to take his personality cult to the next level.

It’s interesting to note the timing of this event. Kim chose to debut his portrait while the Cuban President was visiting. Cuba and North Korea have long been strong allies and diplomatic relations remain tight to this day. It is probable that the Kim regime might be seeking advice from Cuba on how best to deal with the United States in order to finally normalize relations; a feat Cuba was able to achieve just three years ago. Being a socialist state with a long history of tense relations with the US, the Cubans seem like just the advisors Kim could need right now.

As Kim becomes increasingly involved in diplomatic initiatives with foreign countries, the North Korean Supreme Leader knows he must walk a fine line between exhibiting strength abroad while remaining firmly in control at home. He needs to maintain his people’s support–some would even say admiration– in order to continue ruling the country his way.

This need to further strengthen his posture at home can also help explain the move to unveil the portrait at this time. He must assure his people that he is just as strong a leader as his predecessors and that his attempts to open up North Korea to the world will not come at the cost of maintaining firm control over all state affairs or in any way change his position as ‘Supreme Leader’ of North Korea. As long as his supremacy is firmly cemented in the minds of the public, Kim will be able to continue pursuing his political and economic goals both at home and abroad.