North Korea “no smoking in public places” … Will ‘Lover’ Kim Jong-un stay?

The Chosun Central News Agency reported on the 5th that North Korea held a plenary meeting of the Supreme People’s Assembly and enacted a no-smoking law.

President Kim Jong-un claps with a cigarette in the performance hall. [연합뉴스]

According to North Korean media, at a meeting held on the 4th under the chairmanship of the Speaker of the Supreme People’s Assembly, Choi Yong-hae, North Korea created a smoking cessation law consisting of 31 articles. The law is said to contain a tightening of controls on the production and sale of tobacco and smoking. In addition, it included the designation of no-smoking places in public places such as theaters and cinemas, child care institutions, educational institutions, medical and health facilities, commercial and financial services facilities, and public transportation, and penalties for violations of the order. of smoking.

As North Korean leader Kim Jong-un heads to Hanoi, Vietnam for the North American summit, while taking a break at a station in Nanning, southern China, and smoking a cigarette, his younger sister, Kim Yeo-jeong, the first vice president of the Propaganda Department of the Labor Party, holds an ashtray. [연합뉴스]

North Korea enacted the ‘No Smoking Control Act’ in 2005 and controlled smoking in public places, but it was not adequately enforced. Therefore, it can be interpreted that this time a law was proposed that further strengthened it.

What is striking is whether or not President Kim, who exposed the appearance of smoking anytime, anywhere, will follow anti-smoking laws. North Korean media have reported on President Kim’s local orientation and sent a photo of him holding an unfiltered cigarette in his hand. On the way to Hanoi, Vietnam, for the second summit between North Korea and the United States in February last year, the party’s first vice president, Kim Yeo-jeong, was caught bringing an ashtray to President Kim, who smokes at the station. from Nanning, China. President Kim also smoked indoors while visiting kindergartens and schools. Under the legislation enacted this time, all are subject to prohibition.

However, as President Kim is considered a divine being in North Korea, there are many analyzes that he will be an exception to the anti-smoking law. In the recent publication of “Rage” by American journalist Bob Woodward, there is also an anecdote about President Kim related to tobacco. When US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited North Korea in 2018, when President Kim tried to light a cigarette, Andrew Kim, who was a member of the US delegation, said: “Cigarettes are not good for the body”. Then the facial expressions of Kim Yeo-jeong and other North Korean officials at the scene quickly froze and they saw Kim’s reaction in tension. It is a scene that shows the atmosphere in North Korea, where it is difficult for anyone to stop the actions of President Kim.

However, since North Korea enacted the anti-smoking law, it is noted that state media will try to filter out Kim’s smoking scenes as much as possible. Young-seon Jeon, a professor at Konkuk University Unification Humanities Research Group, said: “The North Korean media is going through a preliminary deliberation by the Ministry of Propaganda and Propaganda. It is very likely that they will filter smoking as much as possible to handle Kim’s image.

Reporter Jeong Yong-soo [email protected]