The North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency said Kim’s late father Kim Jong-il was also named “eternal general secretary” of the Workers’ Party.

The Workers’ Party conference is one of the two major political gatherings the North had announced it would hold in mid-April. The other is a Supreme People’s Assembly meeting scheduled for Friday.

North Korea watchers said that although the young Kim was named first secretary, rather than general secretary, the new post is equivalent to the top position in the party.

To date, the Workers’ Party conference has been held only three times since the foundation of the party in 1945. The last conference was held on Sept. 28, 2010 when Kim Jong-il made it public that the North Korean regime would be succeeded through three generations ― Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il and Kim Jong-un.

The young Kim’s rise to first secretary automatically grants him the other highest titles ― chairman of the Central Military Commission and standing member of the Central Committee’s powerful Political Bureau.

If Kim is promoted to chairman of the National Defense Commission on Friday, North Korea will have officially wrapped up the power transfer from Kim Jong-il to Kim Jong-un.

One noticeable change in the core power group under the young leader is the appointment of Kim Jong-gak as a new defense minister, analyst Cheong Seong-chang at the Sejong Institute said.

The KCNA reported that Kim Jong-gak is the people’s armed forces minister, equivalent to defense minister. The North also promoted two senior officials Choe Ryong-hae and Hyon Chol-hae to people’s army vice marshal, prior to the Workers’ Party conference.

“It is quite noticeable that a new elite group aiding Kim Jong-un appeared even before the Workers’ Party conference,” Cheong said.

After holding the Supreme People’s Assembly’s session on Friday, the North is to celebrate the centenary on Sunday and celebrate the 80th anniversary of the People’s Army on April 25.




By Kim Yoon-mi
(yoonmi@heraldcorp.com)