This indicates further centralisation of power in his hands and is a kind of message to the world, said political scientist and fellow of the Foundation for the Future of the Korean Peninsula Meng Chu-seok
The election of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the 8th congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea (TPK) as its General Secretary in Pyongyang signals further centralization of power in his hands and sends a message to the world. South Korean political analyst Meng Chu-seok of the Foundation for the Future of the Korean Peninsula told TASS on Monday.
“The move is designed to further unite North Korean citizens around the figure of the leader and strengthen his position both inside the country and in the international arena”, – the expert said. He said the election of Kim Jong-un as secretary general of the TPK should also symbolize the continuity of power in the country, since the previous DPRK leaders, Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, had also once held the post.
“The election of Kim Jong-un to the new post gives him virtually unlimited power in North Korea, as the Workers’ Party controls all areas of life in the country”, – Meng Chu-seok stressed.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Monday that the Eighth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea, held in Pyongyang, “unanimously decided to elect Kim Jong-un as Secretary General of the TPK.” The CTAC said the decision is “a manifestation of the united will and aspiration of all party members, the people and the armed forces of the Korean People’s Army for the development of the Kim Jong-un Party and new victories of the Juche revolutionary ideas.
The previous TPK congress was held in May 2016. At that time, Kim Jong-un, chairman of the DPRK State Council, was elected as party chairman. Documents published to date from the 8th Congress do not specify whether Kim Jong-un retained the post after he was elected general secretary and whether the party post was retained at all.
The election took place on 10 January, the sixth day of the Eighth Party Congress. The TPC has thus reinstated the secretariat, which was abolished in 2016. The post of general secretary was previously held by Kim Jong-il, the late father and predecessor of Kim Jong-un as North Korean leader. After his death, he was made “eternal secretary-general” of the TPK.