North Korea’s first Party Congress in 36
years drew to a close on May 9. On that day, the Party-run publication Rodong
Sinmun was filled with coverage about the conference. Pages one through four
dealt with Party Congress issues related to Kim Jong Un’s consolidation
efforts. Pages five to seven announced the written decisions of the 7th Korean Workers’ Party Congress. Page nine featured articles discussing how various
countries around the world were celebrating the Party Congress. In this edition
of, “A Closer Look Inside the Rodong Sinmun,” we speak with Seo Jae Pyung,
Secretary General for the Association of North Korean Defectors, to learn more.
1. Mr. Secretary General, thanks for
joining us. Can you tell us a bit about the background of the the Party
Congress?
I don’t think there was any special reason
for hosting the Party Congress exactly; I think it was mainly held in order to
promote and solidify Kim Jong Un’s position as supreme leader. Looking at the content
of the Congress, there weren’t any significant changes made. In point of fact,
Kim Il Sung, ordered that there should be no further Party Congresses until
certain conditions were met, declaring, “Until the people dine on meat, do not
hold a Congress.” Kim Jong Un ignored this order to conduct his own
coronation.
2. The Rodong Sinmun reports that countries
such as Russia, China, and Bulgaria had festivities to celebrate the Party
Congress. Was that really the case? I suspect this assertion contradicts
journalist reports from outside North Korea, no? After all, even North Korea’s
allies, such as China, did not send a delegation to Pyongyang.
North Korean embassies and friendship
societies abroad did host nominal parties in honor of the Party Congress. The
Rodong Sinmun report is referring to these parties. But the embassies really
didn’t have much choice in the matter. So they invited foreign guests to come
and celebrate the event. That being the case, I think it is a stretch to say
that the foreign countries enthusiastically embraced the Party Congress.
The article was made in order to make it
appear as if the North Korean regime has foreign support. But the foreign press
didn’t cover these minor events.
2-1. The North Korean regime consistently
insists that Kim Jong Un’s power is highly regarded around the world. What do
the North Korean people think about this?
In the past, North Korean residents
believed the whole world knew about North Korea. But they don’t think that way
any longer. The authorities argue that, “stepping onto North Korean soil
enables one to see the world,” but more residents are increasingly quipping,
“How can one see the world from North Korea?” without hesitation. The North
Korean propaganda machine does not have the same effect that it once had; it’s
been rendered ineffective. In fact, the more the regime touts North Korea’s
global status, the more the residents come to realize how untrue the statements
are.
3. The 6th Party Congress was held in 1980
and was host to 118 foreign delegations, including China’s Vice President Li
Xiannian and Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister. But that wasn’t the case this time. Why
was that?
During the 6th Party Congress, Kim Il Sung
battled through tough circumstances to advance the hereditary succession model
by putting his son forward as heir. He invited an international audience to do
so. Kim Jong Un is being hit hard by international sanctions, which makes it
politically difficult to extend invitations to international delegations.
Furthermore, Kim Jong Un would risk being humiliated if he failed to deliver on
the promises he made to an international audience. To put it in another way,
the international circumstances made it extremely difficult to host a Congress,
but Kim Jong Un went ahead and pushed it through nonetheless.
4. The picture of Kim Jong Un on the first
page of the Rodong Sinmun from May 9 leaps out at the reader. We see him
wearing a Western style suit and tie, which is a new look. It seems as if he is
going too far trying to emulate his grandfather. Your thoughts?
In this context, when a politician wears a
necktie, it’s a symbol that his status and position are protected. Kim Jong Un
is using the symbol to substantiate his claim and show the country that he is
the supreme leader. So I think it’s a bit more complicated that simply him
emulating his grandfather. It also shows us Kim Jong Un’s purposeful attempt to
create his own image.
