Chosun Central News Agency (KCNA) reported early this morning, the 29th, that Kim Jong Eun has been elected to the Central Committee of the Party and made Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Party through the Workers’ Party Delegates’ Conference.
This follows his becoming a general on Monday.
Accordingly, Kim Jong Il’s third son has become an official presence in the military authorities, consolidating his position as the successor publicly, and the no. 2 behind Kim Jong Il, who was elected again chair of the Central Military Commission.
Sticking with precedent, KCNA did not reveal whether Kim Jong Il or Kim Jong Eun took part in the Conference.
In the same Conference session, four figures were elected to the Standing Committee of the Politburo alongside the reelected Kim Jong Il: Supreme People’s Committee Permanent Chairperson Kim Young Nam, Premier of the Cabinet Choi Young Rim, First Vice-chairman of the National Defense Commission Cho Myung Rok and the Chief of the General Staff of the People’s Army Lee Young Ho. With the exception of Lee Young Ho and Kim Jong Il, the other three are all in their 80s.
Additionally, Kim Kyung Hee, who was given the “general” title along with Kim Jong Eun, was elected to the Politburo while her husband, Jang Sung Taek, became a candidate member of the Politburo and a member of the Central Military Commission of the Central Committee.
Ten further people were elected as Secretaries of the Secretariat of the Central Committee: Chief Secretary of the North Hwanghae Province Choi Ryong Hae, Kim Ki Nam, Choi Tae Bok, Mun Kyeong Deuk, Park Do Chun, Kim Young Il, Kim Yang Gun, Kim Pyong Hae, Tae Jong Su and Hong Seok Hyeong.
KCNA finally reported that the Conference had come to an end after one full day, saying, “The Chosun Workers’ Party Delegates’ Conference has been successfully completed, with Kim Young Nam giving the closing address.”
