North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been reappointed as the president of the state affairs commission during the first session of the Supreme People’s Assembly. The appointment took place after the recent ruling party congress, as reported by state media. Jo Yong-won, a close aide to Kim, was also elected as the chairman of the SPA standing committee during the meeting, succeeding Choe Ryong-hae.
The Supreme People’s Assembly, North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament, typically holds a session following a party congress to enact laws necessary for implementing decisions made at the congress. Premier Pak Thae-song retained his position, while Kim Tok-hun was appointed as the first vice premier, a newly established role. Additionally, Jo was appointed as the vice chief of the state affairs commission, and Kim Yo-jong, Kim’s influential sister, was removed from her position as a commission member.
Kim Jong-un, the third-generation leader of North Korea, has been governing the nation since his father’s passing in 2011. The state itself was founded in 1948 by his grandfather, Kim Il Sung. Ahead of the SPA session, 687 deputies were chosen, with North Korean citizens aged 17 and above presented with a single state-approved candidate per district for acceptance or rejection.
The new delegation for the SPA received overwhelming approval, with 99.93% of the vote in favor and a mere 0.07% in opposition, as reported by state media outlet KCNA. The voter turnout reached 99%, with the Pyongyang assembly hall described as charged with intense political dedication and revolutionary zeal among the newly seated members. Analysts anticipate that this assembly meeting may address potential constitutional revisions, including redefining relations between North and South Korea as ties between “two hostile states.”
