Kim Jong-un
North Korean state media continued to praise Kim Jong-un over the weekend, hinting at his imminent appointment to Pyongyang’s highest military post.
In delivering the news that Kim paid his respects to his late father Kim Jong-il, the North’s official media outlet, the Korean Central News Agency, referred to Kim Jong-un as “the highest leader of our revolutionary forces” and called for the public to support his regime.
On Saturday Kim Jong-un visited the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, where Kim Jong-il will be interred, accompanied by North Korea’s political and military leaders for the second consecutive day.
The report went on to idolize the younger Kim, saying that he was a leader of a caliber that is rarely seen in the world and that they should “perfect the aspects of the leader’s military and the party’s military.”
The Korean Central News Agency report also showed other changes that appear to be aimed at consolidating Kim Jong-un’s grip on power taking place in North Korea.
Jang Song-thaek, Kim Jong-un’s uncle by law and vice chairman of the party’s National Defense Commission, was shown on North Korean video footage wearing a uniform with full general’s insignia.
The change in Jang, who had not been given a general’s rank and had until now never appeared in uniform on television, is thought to be aimed at filling the gap in Pyongyang’s power structure left by Kim Jong-il’s death.
Jang’s position next to the chief of the Korean People’s Army General Staff Ri Yong-ho during the visit to the palace is also thought to indicate his rapid rise in Pyongyang’s hierarchy.
The Korean Central News Agency also reported that those paying respects to Kim Jong-il renewed the vow to establish a “socialist homeland, and a strong and prosperous nation by faithfully following comrade Kim Jong-un’s leadership of the military,” and to defend with their lives the party’s Central Committee that is led by “dear comrade Kim Jong-un.”
The dictatorial regime’s official paper, the Rodong Sinmun, went further, carrying an editorial titled “Our supreme commander,” on Saturday.
Stating “we declare from the heart,” the editorial said that North Korea will call “Comrade Kim Jong-un as our supreme commander, our general” in continuing the drive to complete the “military-first revolution.”
By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldm.com)
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
