Kim Jong Un, the North Korean president, has further asserted power and authority lies with him in the recent major reshuffle of his cabinet. The newly elected parliament members excelled at an unopposed poll last month during which Kim Jong Un was reelected as the State Affairs Commission Chairman. This reelection maintains him as the leader of the ruling party, the entire state, and the nation’s military. During a session at Pyongyang, he added “Supreme Representative of all Korean People” to his title basically for complimentary use in diplomatic and ceremonial gatherings.
The new cabinet had long-serving officials such as Kim Jong Nam (91), and Premier Pak Pong Ju (80) replaced by younger ones. They were either retired or promoted to symbolic positions.
According to a North Korea expert at the Korea Institute for National Unification, Park Hyeong Jung, the cabinet reshuffle is aimed towards better economic self-reliance through strengthened mobilization and also to reinforce control over the society.
On Wednesday, Kim Jong Un encouraged Workers’ Party officials to further strengthen the nation’s economy to destabilize everyone aiming to bring North Korea down on its knees. This statement came a few weeks after a summit between President Trump and Kim Ha Noi of South Korea ended abruptly. Kim Jong Un seem prepared to face tough times ahead especially after President Trump declared his intention to visit South Korea.
Considering past occurrences, the bone of contention seems to be who should mediate between Korea and the United States on getting rid of nuclear weapons.
Anonymous sources report there is a possibility both the leaders will meet to break a deal between themselves.
