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Report: N. Korea's Ruling Party Sets Up New Post Under Leader Kim

Reuters

   SEOUL - North Korea's ruling party has amended its rules to create a de
   facto second-in-command under leader Kim Jong Un as he looks to revamp
   domestic politics, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said on Tuesday.

   Citing an unidentified source familiar with North Korea, the agency
   said the holder of the new post of"first secretary"would chair meetings
   on behalf of Kim Jong Un.

   Kim cemented his power at a congress of the Workers' Party of Korea
   (WPK) in January, where he was elected its general secretary, taking a
   title last held by his late father, Kim Jong Il.

   Now Kim wants the party to play a greater role in government, as
   compared to the more-military centered administration of his father,
   the agency added.

   "The term 'military-first politics,' a major keyword in the Kim Jong Il
   era, is known to have been scrapped from theprefaceof the party
   by-laws,"it said.

   In a statement, South Korea's Unification Ministry said new party
   by-laws were publicized in North Korea after the January meeting. But
   the ministry, which is responsible for relations with the neighboring
   nation, cannot disclose details, it added.

   Kim Jong Un himself used the"first secretary"designation from 2012 to
   2016.

   The new post is the most senior of the party's seven secretaries and is
   likely to have been taken by Jo Yong Won of the politburo's
   five-memberpresidium, Yonhap said.

   Jo is considered one of Kim's closest aides, whose appointment to
   thepresidiumwas reported by state media.

   At the time of the January meeting, analysts viewed him as holding the
   government's No. 3 position, after Kim and Choe RyongHae,chairmanof the
   Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly.

   Kim Jong Un has wielded almost absolute power in North Korea's dynastic
   system since taking over after Kim Jong Il's death in 2011.

   Last year a South Korean lawmaker said the country's intelligence
   agency believed that Kim's sister, KimYoJong, was serving as his"de
   facto second-in-command"but had not necessarily beendesignatedhis
   successor.

   Kim has increasingly engaged with party members this year, particularly
   the cell secretaries, whoare responsible forgroups numbering up to 30
   grassroots members each.

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