NewKerala.com

Kim Jong-un Declares Own Era at Party Congress, Consolidates Long-Term Power

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has used the recent party congress to solidify his long-term grip on power, with Seoul's government stating he effectively declared the start of "the Kim Jong-un era." The congress featured a significant reshuffle of party officials, with about half of the central leadership replaced, signaling a major generational shift. Notably, Kim's opening speech omitted traditional expressions of deference to his late father and grandfather, former leaders Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung. The gathering also re-elected Kim as party chief, emphasizing the reinforcement of the country's nuclear capabilities under his leadership.

Key Points: Kim Jong-un Consolidates Power at North Korea Party Congress

  • Kim declared start of his own era
  • Major party leadership reshuffle
  • Omitted deference to predecessors
  • Reinforced nuclear deterrence focus
  • Signals generational power shift
2 min read

North Korea's Kim uses party congress to consolidate his long-term grip on power: Seoul

North Korea's Kim Jong-un uses party congress to declare his own era, reshuffle leadership, and solidify long-term control, says Seoul's assessment.

"the Kim Jong-un era in a full sense - Seoul's Unification Ministry"

Seoul, Feb 27

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has used the latest party congress as an occasion for consolidating his base for a long-term grip on power, effectively declaring the start of his own era, Seoul's unification ministry said Friday.

In an assessment of North Korea's ninth party congress that concluded its seven-day run Wednesday, the ministry said in his 15th year in office, the incumbent leader declared "the Kim Jong-un era in a full sense."

At the first party congress in five years, Kim was reelected as the general secretary of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) for reinforcing the country's nuclear deterrence under his leadership. Held just once every five years, the days-long party congress offers a rare glimpse into the workings of a nation where even mundane details are shrouded in secrecy.

As for the grounds for such an evaluation, the ministry cited the omission of "deference" expressions toward late state founder Kim Il-sung and late former leader Kim Jong-il in Kim Jong-un's opening speech.

The ministry also mentioned North Korea's touting of Kim Jong-un's achievements that the North said surpassed those of his predecessors.

Meanwhile, the unification ministry said North Korea replaced about half of the party officials in the central leadership at the party congress, assessing the move as a personnel reshuffle in prioritising officials' performances.

The WPK elected 139 members and 111 alternate members of its central committee at the party gathering. Of the 250 members, 139 officials were newly elected.

Choe Ryong-hae, the 76-year-old chairman of the North Korean parliament who once served as the top military leader, was excluded from being a member of the WPK central committee, along with other senior officials, signaling a major generational shift in leadership, Yonhap news agency reported.

But since assuming power in 2011, Kim has stressed the need to also fortify the impoverished nation's economy.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priya S
The generational shift in leadership is interesting. Replacing half the officials shows Kim is not afraid to make big changes. But will this actually lead to any economic improvement for North Koreans? That's the real question. 🧐
A
Arjun K
From an Indian strategic perspective, a stable (even if authoritarian) North Korea is sometimes seen as preferable to a chaotic collapse that could destabilize the whole region. But the nuclear ambitions are always a worry. Hope our diplomats are watching this closely.
S
Sarah B
It's sad to read about the "omission of deference" to his grandfather and father. In Indian culture, we deeply respect our elders and predecessors. This move to declare his own era by sidelining them feels disrespectful, no matter the political context.
V
Vikram M
The article says he's stressed fortifying the economy since 2011, but where are the results? A party congress for show, changing officials, but the people still suffer. This is why transparency and a free press matter. We are lucky to have that in India, despite our challenges.
K
Kavya N
Absolute power for so long... it never ends well. Hope the younger officials being brought in might push for some opening up. The world has changed so much since 2011, they can't remain isolated forever. Maybe there's a chance for positive change? 🤞

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50