Kim Jong-un speaks his father’s words with his grandpa’s face

New leader showing more public style in addressing citizens of the crumbling country

By Kim Kyu-won, staff writer

New North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stunned observers with a 20-minute speech at a Sunday event in Pyongyang to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his grandfather Kim Il-sung’s birth.

Like Grandpa, like grandson

Analysts interpreted the speech as a move to show himself as willing to appeal to and communicate directly with the people in his government in an open and public-friendly manner. This contrasts with his father Kim Jong-il, who rarely spoke to the public.

Speaking Sunday morning in Pyongyang’s Kim Il-sung Square, Kim declared that the country’s songun (military first) policies would continue for the time being.

In the speech, Kim said, “What was once a weak country [North Korea] has now transformed into a political and military power.

"If we intend to succeed in the great endeavor of building a strong and prosperous socialist state, our first, second, and third steps are to strengthen the people’s military in every way possible," Kim continued.

Kim also stressed the importance of economic development. "We must tend well to the precious seeds planted by Comrade Kim Jong-il for the sake of building a strong and prosperous nation and improving the peoples’ lives, cultivating them so that they blossom into a glorious reality," he said.

Regarding inter-Korean relations, Kim said that "anyone who truly wishes for the country’s unification and the peace and prosperity of the Korean people will join hands in working together."

Kim’s approach stood in contrast with those of senior North Korean officials, who tend to read prepared statements in a stiff manner. The leader was seen moving his body throughout the speech. Afterwards, he engaged People’s Army politburo chief Choi Ryong-hae and Chief of General Staff Ri Yong-ho, who had been standing to his left while reviewing the massive military parade, in questions and conversation.

Kim was also seen several times smiling broadly and making large movements with his hands and body. Following the review, he smiled and waved at North Koreans calling out his name as they moved by either side of the seat of honor. During his speech, Kim Jong-un appeared to resemble his deceased grandfather in his tone and mannerisms.

In contrast, the only public speech by Kim Jong-il came at a 60th anniversary ceremony for the People’s Army on Apr. 25, 1992, where he called on the people to "glorify the heroic soldiers of the Korean People’s Army."

"It calls to mind Kim Il-sung’s political style, with the openness and the attempt to connect with the public," said Jang Yong-seok, a senior researcher at the Seoul National University Institute for Peace and Unification Studies.

"Kim Jong-un is still lacking in charisma and the ‘patriarch’ image, so it looks like he opted for this approach as a way of getting closer to the elite and the public quickly," Jang added.

Meanwhile, France’s AFP reported in a Sunday article with a Pyongyang dateline that North Korea carried out a large-scale ”Day of the Sun“ (Kim Il-sung‘s birthday) event in spite of last week’s failed rocket launch.

The piece quoted foreigners living in Pyongyang as saying that thousands of people had worked at cleaning, building improvement and landscaping in downtown Pyongyang in the two months leading up to the event.

The article also quoted Korean Peninsula expert Masao Okonomi, an honorary professor at Japan’s Kyushu University, as saying that North Korea had become the subject of international mockery after inviting large numbers of foreign journalists for its failed rocket launch.

The AP reported that six million North Koreans, or one in four, require food aid, while quoting Unification Minister Yu Woo-ik as saying that the country likely spent $850 million (roughly 964.3 billion won) on the rocket launch.

But Yuri Karash, an expert with the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics who is currently visiting Pyongyang, told Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency in an interview Friday that the rocket development likely cost around $50 million to $60 million (57 billion to 68 billion won), although it was difficult to judge because North Korea does not have a market economy.

　

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