Is North Korea's Kim Jong-un shielding his powerful sister from media attention?

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Sunday solidified his power with a new title of general secretary of the ruling Workers' Party, in an election that prompted questions about the future of his high-profile sister and saw the promotion of a long-time official in his 60s.

Kim was endorsed with the position, previously held by his late father and grandfather, during a congress called to map out diplomatic, military and economic policies over the next five years and make key personnel appointments, according to state media.

The move is apparently aimed at bolstering Kim's authority amid growing economic challenges at home and ahead of the inauguration of US president-elect Joe Biden on January 20, analysts say.

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Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said Kim's new title reflected the rise of his stature over nine years.

"At the beginning of his rule, when he needed the aura of his predecessors, he satisfied himself with a relatively humble title - the 'first secretary'," he said. "Kim Jong-un's endorsement as general secretary now marks the opening of his one-man rule in name and in reality as well."

Yang added the move also could be seen as a shift away from the country's "Songun policy" - which prioritises the military in the affairs of state - towards a "party-centred socialist system, in which the party takes charge of the implementation of all policies".

Lim Eul-chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, said while Kim Jong-un was awarded the title as an acknowledgement of his leadership over the past nine years, there was also an expectation that came with the position.

"If he fails to solve the daunting tasks, economic difficulties and confrontation with the US over the North's nuclear development, it will be difficult for Kim to keep his authority as the general secretary," he said.

North Korea has suffered triple blows - back-to-back typhoons in the summer, a protracted border closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, and global sanctions on its economy.

Meanwhile, Kim Yo-jong's name was conspicuously absent from the list of members making it to the party's powerful political bureau.

Speculation had swirled that Kim's younger sister, widely considered the second most powerful figure in the Kim dynasty, could be promoted after she played a prominent role in inter-Korean affairs and other key issues.

"Kim Jong-un has apparently decided to protect his sister from excessive media attention from abroad by letting her keep a low profile for a while," Yang said. "But she will continue wielding power over the party as a sort of a minister-at-large."

Lim said Kim Yo-jong may be given a key post in the future. "There is possibility that she may take up a key post down the road, as she still remains a member of the central committee," he said.

Other observers told Yonhap News that her political role would remain unchanged as she was already a key player in state and inter-Korean affairs.

"Kim Yo-jong can always be appointed as an alternate member or member of the political bureau when Kim Jong-un decides to do so, and her official status can be suddenly elevated ... as she regularly assists leader Kim in his public activities," said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior researcher at the Sejong Institute.

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, said Kim Yo-jong "comes in and out of prominence and her title tends not to match her importance". "She is a confidant and image consultant for her brother as well as a trusted pair of eyes and ears embedded in the North Korean elite," he said in a comment sent to Yonhap News.

A new face in the standing committee of the politburo - a position held by only five people, including Kim - is Jo Yong-won, a senior party official in his mid-60s who has often accompanied Kim during inspection tours to military units, workplaces and construction sites. He replaced Pak Pong-ju in what analysts said was a leadership shuffle for younger blood.

"Jo has been promoted by two or three notches at once, cementing his position as the leader's right-hand man," Yang said, noting Jo now has three key posts - a standing committee member of the political bureau, party secretariat that executes party policies, and a member of a party central military committee. "Relatively young generations replaced old generations."

Kim Jong-un inspects a military drill on February 28, 2020. Photo: KCNA via AP alt=Kim Jong-un inspects a military drill on February 28, 2020. Photo: KCNA via AP

Under North Korea's traditional policy of "keeping the old, the middle-aged and the young in harmony", senior politicians tend to remain in high posts but generational changes have gradually been made since Kim, 37, took power as he is "too young to deal with the older people", Yang said.

During the congress, Kim vowed to boost his nuclear arsenal and build more sophisticated weapons systems, including nuclear-armed submarines and ICBMs that could reach the mainland of the United States to cope with what he calls intensifying hostile policy by America.

With an unusual frankness, Kim admitted a previous five-year economic development plan had failed and disclosed a new development that focused on building a stronger self-reliant economy.

Kim has pushed the "byungjin" policy of simultaneously seeking economic growth and the expansion of his nuclear weapons as a deterrent to the US.

After claiming to have achieved the ability to strike the US mainland with nuclear weapons, Kim launched high-stakes summits with Donald Trump in 2018, but their diplomacy later fell apart due to wrangling over the sanctions the following year.

On Monday, South Korea's military said it had obtained intelligence showing North Korea staged a military parade at a Pyongyang square the night before. A statement from the joint chiefs of staff said it was checking if it was an actual parade or a rehearsal.

Additional reporting by Associated Press and Reuters

This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

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