Even though six days have passed since the end of the Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA), decisions and instruments taken there have yet to be handed down to the people in local meetings.
Although the North Korean media did release the agenda of the SPA, there has been no comment on the implementation of decisions. Diverse sources also reported on the 13th that people’s unit meetings have not contained anything about the SPA.
SPA decisions are conventionally discussed in people’s unit meetings two or three days after the event and the people’s unit allocates assignments to residents according to its decisions. Of course, propaganda urging residents to carry out their assigned tasks then follows.
Whereas this year, there has been nothing. Not that people have any interest in the SPA, anyway. As one source from Yangkang Province said, “There have been no decrees on the SPA, and anyway we don’t have enough time to pay attention to it since even living is tough. We don’t have any interest in it. Can the SPA keep us alive?”
“If the SPA gave us as little as one kilogram of potatoes or corn, we would pay attention to it, but for us who must prepare meals every day we don’t pay it any attention. If something like changing of the president happened we would pay attention to it,” another source from North Hamkyung Province agreed,
Nevertheless, the SPA agenda items Chosun Central News Agency (KCNA) reported were as follows: the business of the Cabinet in 2010; the settlement of national accounts in 2010 and budget for 2011; and organizational issues.
The North Korean media also reported some personnel changes, notably the movement of Lee Myung Su from Administrative Director of the National Defense Commission to head of the People’s Safety Ministry.
