North Korea's rubber-stamp parliament, the Supreme People's Assembly, has re-elected Kim Jong Un as the nation's leader following a highly choreographed and unanimous vote. The election, held during the first session of the 15th Supreme People's Assembly at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang, solidifies Mr Kim's third consecutive term at the helm of the country's highest policymaking body.
State Media Lauds Kim as 'Great Strategist'
According to the state news agency KCNA, Mr Kim's re-election reflects the unanimous will and desire of all the Korean people. Following the vote, state media lauded the 40-year-old leader as a prominent thinker-theoretician and a great strategist of state building, describing him as a powerful political weapon who would strengthen the nation. Analysts note that elections in North Korea are meticulously staged to provide the Kim regime with a veneer of democratic legitimacy, with the Supreme People's Assembly formally approving state policy crafted by the ruling Workers' Party.
Continuity of Kim Dynasty Rule
Kim Jong Un is the third-generation ruler of North Korea, which was founded by his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, in 1948. He assumed power after the death of his father, Kim Jong Il, in 2011 and was recently re-elected as head of the Workers' Party, cementing his 15-year grip on the country's sole ruling party. Photos from the assembly session showed Mr Kim dressed in a formal western suit with a tie, as top officials broke into applause in front of two giant statues of his father and grandfather.
Parliamentary Elections and Constitutional Amendments
The Workers' Party won all 687 seats in the Supreme People's Assembly in this year's parliamentary election, though its share of the vote decreased slightly from 99.99 per cent in 2019 to 99.93 per cent. Observers suggest that state media reported on the 0.07 per cent of votes against the party to create a false perception of limited or tolerated opposition. The weekend's legislative meeting also covered proposed amendments to the constitution, steps to implement a five-year national development plan unveiled at the ruling party congress, and the 2026 state budget.
Shift in Policy Towards South Korea
Although no specific details were released, it is understood that the meeting would revise the constitution to formalise Mr Kim's two hostile states policy towards South Korea. In recent years, Mr Kim has abandoned Pyongyang's long-standing goal of peaceful reunification and redefined the South as the nation's primary enemy, marking a significant shift in inter-Korean relations.
Notable Absence of Kim Yo Jong
In a notable development, Mr Kim's powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, was absent from the list of members of the State Affairs Commission, the country's highest leadership body, on which she had served since 2021. South Korea's unification ministry stated that it is investigating why she is no longer listed, but analysts caution that this move does not necessarily indicate a loss of influence.
Strategic Division of Roles
Lim Eul Chul, a professor at Kyungnam University, explained that her absence suggests not a decline in status but a strategic division of roles. He added that the younger Kim continues to wield real power as a department director in the Workers' Party, where she could play a higher-level, party-centred role in coordinating policy. This reconfiguration highlights the ongoing consolidation of power within the Kim regime, even as external perceptions of internal dynamics evolve.
