PYONGYANG, North Korea — Kim Jong Un has been re-elected as President of the State Affairs Commission, the country’s highest governing body, following a vote by North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament, state media reported Monday.
According to the state news agency Korean Central News Agency, the decision was taken during the first session of the 15th Supreme People’s Assembly held on March 22. The report described the reappointment as reflecting “the unanimous will and desire of all the Korean people.”
“The Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK reelected Comrade Kim Jong Un as President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea at the First Session, the first state affairs activity of its 15th term,” KCNA said.
Kim’s position as head of the State Affairs Commission cements his authority over the nuclear-armed state, which he has ruled since 2011 following the death of his father, Kim Jong Il. He is the third-generation ruler of the country founded by his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, in 1948.
Critics have long argued that elections in North Korea are tightly controlled and designed to project an image of democratic procedure. Analysts say outcomes are predetermined, with voters typically given a single candidate endorsed by the ruling party.
Ahead of the session, 687 deputies were elected to the Supreme People’s Assembly, with state media reporting turnout of 99.99pc and approval rates of 99.93pc. North Koreans aged over 17 were presented with a sole candidate in each constituency and asked to approve or reject the nominee.
Analysts say the latest assembly session may also consider constitutional changes, including codifying relations with South Korea as those between “two hostile states.” The language used by Kim in his address is expected to signal Pyongyang’s future posture toward Seoul.