Although the young leader has consolidated his rule over the isolated nation with ruthless purges, North Korean observers say he has also tried to present himself as a more traditional political leader than his eccentric father, Kim Jong Il.
Speaking at a military parade on Saturday, Kim was emotional as he paid tribute to troops for their response to national disasters and the prevention of a coronavirus outbreak and apologized to citizens for not improving living standards.
“Kim’s modesty and directness, and her tears and suffocation, were very unusual, even for someone who publicly acknowledges her shortcomings and has an established pattern of expressiveness,” said Rachel Minyoung Lee, independent researcher and former open source analyst at North Korea. for the United States government.
The speech, which was clearly carefully designed to resonate with the national audience, likely cemented Kim’s image as a charismatic and competent leader who also has a human side, he said.
‘SORRY’
Kim, who smiled widely when huge new ballistic missiles were on display at the parade, blamed North Korea’s continuing economic difficulties on international sanctions, the coronavirus crisis and a series of damaging typhoons and floods.
Since succeeding his father in 2011, Kim has made economic progress a cornerstone of his agenda. He also met with the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and formed an unprecedented personal relationship that included flowery letters.
But ambitious plans for international trade, construction projects and other economic measures have stalled amid the sanctions imposed by its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
The economy was further hit when North Korea closed its borders to nearly all traffic due to the pandemic and summer typhoons triggered flooding that further threatened the food supply.
“Our people have trusted me, as high as the sky and as deep as the sea, but I have not always been able to measure up to it satisfactorily,” Kim said, in a moment that seemed to choke. “I’m really sorry about that.”
Kim said the country’s success in preventing a coronavirus outbreak and overcoming other challenges was a “great victory achieved” by citizens.
“Our people have always been grateful to our Party, but it is none other than themselves who surely deserve a bow of thanks,” he said.
So much focus on citizens was a major shift for such events, where speeches are generally filled with more ideological themes and praise for the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, Lee said.
“The speech was clearly intended to be for and about the people,” he said.
Personal approach
Unlike his remote father, Kim has taken his wife to political summits with foreign leaders, often leaning in to hug children and mingling with workers in public appearances.
Part of this popular approach has shaped his public response to the country’s economic challenges, said Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein, a North Korean economics expert at the US-based think tank Stimson Center.
“Kim has been more personally present and visible at disaster reconstruction sites and the like, and has prioritized many of the symbolic construction projects designed to show economic progress,” he said.
But despite some initial moves toward embracing markets, Kim is not an outright reformer, and his political prescriptions have tended to be based on the North Korean playbook perfected by his father and grandfather, the founder of the state, Kim Il Sung, Silberstein said.
The United Nations says that, under Kim, North Korea has continued to nullify basic freedoms, maintaining political prison camps and strict surveillance of its citizens. Kim had his uncle executed, according to state media, and the United States accused his government of using the chemical warfare agent VX to assassinate his half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, in 2017, an accusation Pyongyang has denied.
Last week, Kim called on his country to embark on an 80-day “battle of speed,” a campaign to reach economic goals before a congress in January to decide on a new five-year plan.
Such campaigns, which involve citizens doing “voluntary” extra work, have been described by some residents as “one of the most exhausting and irritating parts of everyday life,” Silberstein said.
“Essentially, Kim has been left with tears, apologies, quick battles and squeezing funds wherever they can be found,” he said.
.
