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By Kim Kyu-won, Staff Writer

　North Korea is planning to hold a Workers’ Party conference this April to announce the appointment of Kim Jong-un to key central positions such as general secretary of the Workers‘ Party of Korea. Kim currently vice chairman of the Commission for Military Affairs of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea (Central Military Commission.

　On Monday, the Korean Central News Agency reported that the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Workers‘ Party of Korea had “decided to convene a party conference in mid-April in order to unite firmly around Comrade Kim Jong-un and complete the great achievements of Juche and of the Military-First Revolution.”

　This is the fourth time the WPK has held a conference. The first three were held in 1958, 1966 and 2010. According to party rules, conferences may be convened between regular five-yearly congresses in order to decide upon urgent matters such as party lines or policies. At the September 2010 conference, North Korea decided to make successor Kim Jong-un vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, and is believed to have replaced members and candidate members of the WPK central committee in order to support this.

　North Korea’s holding of a party conference can be taken as a sign that the North‘s internal power system has to some extent been organized following the death of National Defence Commission chairman Kim Jong-il. A point of key interest is whether vice chairman Kim will be made general secretary of the WPK. A variety of important events will take place in the near future, including the 100th anniversary of the birth of premier Kim Il-sung on April 15, the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Army on April 25 and a Supreme People‘s Assembly.

　“It is worth noting that the North has chosen the non-regular framework of a party conference rather than a regular party congress,” said Professor Kim Yeon-Chul of Inje University. “Since vice chairman Kim has actually taken power in North Korea, it is possible that ’rule by the deceased‘ may be emphasized.”

　Consequently, he added, “It’s difficult to draw rapid conclusions as to whether [Kim] will succeed official positions such as general secretary of the party.”

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