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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un officially announced his commitment to improving relations with Seoul.

Speaking during an extended meeting of the Workers’ Party of Korea Central Military Committee on Aug. 28, Kim said the agreement reached at a recent “two-plus-two” meeting with the South “should be cultivated to bear rich fruit.”

Kim also dismissed a number of members, raising questions about their possible involvement in the situation following an Aug. 4 landmine explosion that injured two South Korean soldiers at the Demilitarized Zone.

Kim’s comments were reported in a piece on the extended meeting by North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

“The results of this meeting are a victory for a noble philosophy of concern for the [Korean] people’s destiny and deep regard for peace. This agreement that turned a disaster into a blessing at a crucial moment should be prized and cultivated to bear rich fruit,” Kim was quoted as saying.

Kim was also quoted as calling the issuing of a joint statement by North and South Korea at the high-level meeting a “momentous turning point that eased severe military tensions and turned North-South relations from the brink of catastrophe onto a path of reconciliation and trust.”

At the same time, Kim also said the agreement was made possible by North Korea’s military capabilities, including its nuclear deterrent, the KCNA piece reported.

The report on Kim’s activities and statements was the first in the North Korean press since another extended Central Military Committee meeting on the evening of Aug. 20, when a “quasi-state of war” was announced. Experts noted the significance of Kim stressing improvements in inter-Korean relations in his first statement after the eight-day silence.

“Kim Jong-un talking openly about the results of a high-level meeting between North and South Korean government officials and needing to ‘cultivate’ them is unprecedented for a North Korean leader,” said Cheong Seong-chang, Director of Unification Strategy Studies at the Sejong Institute.

“I expect dialogue between the North and South Korean governments to proceed smoothly for the time being,” Chung predicted.

Despite the cautious attitude from Seoul in the wake of the talks, Pyongyang could make even more aggressive attempts to pursue inter-Korean dialogue.

Dismissals and appointments of Central Military Committee members were also reported in the KCNA piece as having taken place at the extended meeting, although no specific names were given. For now, the list of figures considered likely to have been dismissed include former Minister of People’s Armed Forces Hyon Yong-chol, who was reported executed around late April, as well as Kim Chun-sam, who was dismissed as Korean People’s Army General Staff operations bureau director earlier this year. According to analysts, possible replacements may include People’s Armed Forces first vice minister No Kwang-chol and general politburo organizational bureau director Cho Nam-jin, both of whom were appointed after Hyon’s purge.

That some front-line unit leaders in the operational command line responsible for the landmine blast could have been dismissed, including Chief of General Staff Ri Yong-gil, presumed operations bureau director So Hong-chan, general reconnaissance bureau director Kim Yong-chol, and the associated corps commander.

Cheong Seong-chang advised caution in predicting the membership changes.

“We’re going to have to wait and see if anyone from the command line was dismissed in connection with the mine provocation,” he said.

Similarly, an administration source said it was “currently difficult to presume who was dismissed and why.”

Analysts also noted the difference from Kim’s father Kim Jong-il and grandfather Kim Il-sung in organizing extended Central Military Committee meetings and publicly announcing decisions made there.

“One of the characteristics of the Kim Jong-un era is that they have their own system for showing the making of decisions involving major state issues,” said University of North Korean Studies professor Yang Moo-jin.

Kim Jong-un previously announced the declaration of a “quasi-state of war” during an emergency extended meeting of the commission on the evening of Aug. 20.

Cheong Seong-jang called for a proactive stance from both sides in the days to come.

“Given all the obstacles with the distribution of propaganda leaflets in North Korea and the international community’s complaints about the North Korean human rights situation, a strong commitment to improve from both sides is essential if relations are going to continue proceeding smoothly,” he asserted.

Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University, cautioned against triumphalism from Seoul.

“The Park Geun-hye administration shouldn’t let itself think, ‘We won because we asserted ourselves, and that means we can control North Korea freely,’” Kim said.

“If we approach things humbly instead, this could be an opportunity for making major strides in inter-Korean relations.”

By Kim Ji-hoon, staff reporter

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