hankyoreh

By Yi Yong-in, Staff Writer

North Korea stated that on September 28 of last year, Workers' Party of Korea Central Military Commission vice chairman Kim Jong-un was elected as successor to Kim Jong-il at the party's Representatives' Conference.

Meanwhile, the terms used to refer to Kim over the past view days have analysts predicting that Pyongyang plans to hasten institutional preparations for the new regime under him.

The Rodong Sinmun, on Sunday, used the phrase "since his election as the only successor to the great General at the Workers' Party of Korea Representatives' Conference," to emphasize Kim’s legitimacy. Previously, official North Korean media had used roundabout expressions, such as calling for "thoroughly embodying the spirit of the Party Representatives' Conference."

A government source explained Monday that while a year had passed since Kim was elected internally as an official successor, this was "ample time for developing a manual for 'emergency situations.'"

Indeed, the last few days have seen a rapid upgrading of the titles used to refer to Kim. After using its highest terms for Kim over the weekend, including words like "sun" and "parents," North Korean media referred to him Monday as "head of the party's central committee."

The Rodong Sinmun printed a piece Monday calling on people to "defend with our lives the party's central committee, with the esteemed Comrade Kim Jong-un as its head."

As the party's central committee is headed by the WPK general secretary, analysts said the report could be interpreted as meaning that Kim is effectively acting as general secretary.

Former Vice Minister of Unification Lee Bong-jo said, "This appears to have the aim of stressing the firmness of Kim's power base."

Lee added that he expected a meeting of the party's central committee to be convened shortly to elect Kim as general secretary.

This stands in contrast with the election of Kim Jong-il as party secretary on October 8, 1997, after a three-year period of rule based on the instructions of his father Kim Il-sung.

"After Kim Jong-il's funeral and the central mourning conference, we can expect efforts to begin in earnest toward organizing the base for rule in the 'Kim Jong-un' era some time in January," Lee predicted.

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