Kim Jong Eun delivered his third televised New Year¡¯s Address since coming into power on January 1st. Two years ago, when the leader gave his first televised New Year's Address, the first North Korean leader to do so in 19 years, the event piqued residents¡¯ curiosity and increased their hopes and expectations for what direction the young leader¡¯s era would take. However, in line with last year, most residents have done away with any predictions or hope based on the message's content, predicated on experience that little changes as a result, and have instead come to dread the ideological sessions that invariably follow it.

¡°Kim Jong Eun¡¯s eyes and gestures were even more awkward than last year during the New Year¡¯s Address,¡± a source in North Hamkyung Province told Daily NK on January 1st. ¡°He tried to make it appear like he didn¡¯t need to consult notes on the content, but it made him look anxious and the whole thing seem more unnatural.¡±

He went on to explain that as Kim Jong Eun is known for emulating myriad characteristics unique to Kim Il Sung, residents naturally take to drawing comparisons between the two--particularly regarding the New Year's Address. "Kim Il Sung always came across as polished and natural in his speech delivery, but Kim Jong Eun looked like a student who stepped up to the podium without any experience in public speaking," he said.

¡°Just like last year, Kim Jong Eun¡¯s New Year¡¯s Address didn¡¯t reveal anything to give the residents much reason to expect anything different from the norm,¡± he went on, adding that it was replete with all the same ¡°general appeal¡± narrative, with added rhetoric aimed at propagandizing of the 70th founding anniversary of the Chosun Workers¡¯ Party this year.

¡°Generally, residents can get an idea of the projects planned for the upcoming year in the New Year¡¯s address, but this year there were a few parts that were difficult to understand,¡± the source explained, noting this will exacerbate all the study sessions and related events following the leader¡¯s message, including requisite evidence of putting the recommendations into practice. 

Failure to pass muster with the Party cadres conducting "content retention" inspections-- related to the message's directives--leaves one vulnerable to protracted self-criticism sessions at his or her workplace or other affiliated organization, and if still more punishment is deemed necessary, the next level takes the form of lambasting hurled from Party cadres at ideological sessions on "loyalty."  Busy with trying to make a living day to day, residents dread this time a year--an "onerous burden for a pointless task," according to the source.

Another source in Yangkang Province confirmed these sentiments to be much the same in her region. ¡°People were already worried when they gauged how long the text would be as they were watching the New Year¡¯s Address," she explained.

In fact, many watched the address as a guide to what lies ahead--not regarding the country's policies, but how much time they could expect to lose to the study sessions. ¡°You¡¯ll find that a lot of people spent more time keeping track of how long the address went on rather than the actual content,¡± she said. ¡° There wasn¡¯t even anything extraordinarily new in this year¡¯s address--it was just really long, and that means it¡¯s going to be a pain to memorize.¡±