The first Workers’ Party Congress in 36
years concluded last week on May 9. The regime’s propaganda machine worked tirelessly to spread the word
that the Congress would present a brilliant blueprint to spark a new heyday for
the country; however, among other reasons, due to the absence of foreign dignitaries, many of the country’s
ordinary residents criticized the mass political event for being deflated.
The North Korean people, who performed
backbreaking labor for zero compensation in the 70 days leading up to the
event, had one potential reward in sight: the introduction of a five-year
economic development plan. But hopes for a reformist agenda were dashed when
further plans for mobilizing residents were passed down at the congress.
The tangible result is that the 7th Party
Congress was not about improving the economic prospect for commoners, but
elevating Kim Jong Un to the title of Party chairman. For residents, this
change has little impact on their lives; his grip over their lives is just as
it was before the name change.
Kim was previously known as first secretary
of the Party. There are those who think the sudden title change to chairman
might mark an uneasy transition. A number of sources with whom this author spoke voiced concern that there are many
people occupying a chairman level role, making it difficult to distinguish Kim
Jong Un’s position from other chairmen. Thus, the promotion might actually
expose him to political vulnerability.
Along with Kim’s title change, Party secretaries at the province, city, and county level will also be known
henceforth as chairman, as will Party secretaries in state-operated
factories and at the lower rungs of the Party cell structure.
And there is no end in sight. There are
already chairman-appointed in positions all over North Korea. For example, the
organizational heads of People’s Committees at the local assembly level
(provincial, municipal, and county) are already called chairman.
The Party structure at the lower level is
similar. Leaders of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League, General Federation
of Korean Trade Unions, and the Korean Democratic Women’s Union are all
referred to as chairmen.
Residents are known to openly criticize the
clumsy implementation of policy by these local chairmen. If this is any
indication of the kind of leadership we can expect from Kim Jong Un, this
ridicule might be attached to him as well.
The residents have already become
accustomed to the idea that Kim Jong Il’s title of General Secretary will
continue in perpetuity. Kim Il Sung used and then threw out the title of chairman.
When the residents refer to Kim Jong Un by
his official title of “Highest Dignity,” there is already an element of mockery
apparent in their tone. We should expect that the title of Party chairman will be treated no differently. People will be able to slight Kim Jong Un by removing the “Party”
and calling him simply “chairman”–indistinguishable from the local chairmen who are so often the subject of scorn.
