Kim Jong Eun, Kim Jong Il’s third son, has been publically unveiled by his appointment to Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Party and becoming a member of the Central Committee of the Party at the third Workers’ Party Delegates’ Conference, which was held on September 28th.
In advance of the event, Kim was also invested with the title, “general”; a fact which Chosun Central TV and Chosun Central Broadcast (the state radio station) announced at around 6 A.M. on the day of the Conference.
However, while Chosun Central News Agency (KCNA), which is charged with reporting North Korean news to the international audience, reported early on Wednesday morning that Kim Jong Eun had been elected Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, neither domestic radio nor television had announced the fact to the North Korean people at the time of writing.
A source from Hyesan, Yangkang Province told The Daily NK the latest news inside North Korea this morning, saying, “I saw on TV that the General (Kim Jong Il) had become the General Secretary again,” and went on, “It was obvious that Kim Jong Eun would become the successor after he was conferred with the People’s Army general title.”
The source also said, “Everybody already knew that Youth Captain Kim Jong Eun is the successor, so what kind of announcement is needed?”
Meanwhile, the source also described the understated atmosphere in his neighborhood, “There are no gatherings or events celebrating the Delegates’ Conference yet, but they are very busy with inspections and crackdowns.”
Another source, this time from North Pyongan Province, told The Daily NK, also this morning, “Everybody already knew that Kim Jong Eun is the successor, and it was pretty obvious that in this Conference he would take a fitting position.”
The source predicted that lectures about Kim Jong’s Eun’s “greatness” in “work places and at all levels of the Party” won’t be far away.
However, the same source confirmed how little difference the Delegates’ Conference has made to public opinion, saying, “Who would be happy about a newborn like that getting power?” and adding, “Since the General is only concerned about his son and the Party is full of nothing but brownnoses, there is not one single person in Chosun who is thinking of the people.”
