N. Korean Parliament Re-elects Kim Jong-il

By Jack Kim

Reuters

Published: April 10, 2009 (Issue # 1464)

SEOUL — North Korea re-elected Kim Jong-il as its supreme military leader at its newly seated parliament on Thursday, marking his return to center stage as the country celebrates what it calls a triumphant satellite launch.

The move came as the UN Security Council failed to agree on an action in response to Sunday’s launch, widely seen as a disguised missile test, prompting U.S. Senator John McCain to press China, the North’s key ally, to get tough on its reclusive, impoverished neighbor.

Kim, 67, has been conspicuously absent from major public events after a suspected stroke in August, which raised questions about his iron grip over Asia’s only communist dynasty and whether anyone was waiting in the wings to succeed him.

“The First Session of the 12th Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK held here elected leader Kim Jong-il chairman of the DPRK National Defense Commission,” its KCNA news agency said, using the official name Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The chairman of the National Defense Commission is the seat of power in North Korea, which named state founder and Kim’s father Kim Il-sung eternal president after his death in 1994.

The North lauded the launch as resulting from the state’s guiding ideals of self-reliance and military-first saying the rocket shot showed “the powerful strength of the DPRK, which has rushed forward like the wind towards the rich and powerful country.”

Analysts said the carefully choreographed session of the rubber-stamp Supreme People’s Assembly would give Kim a mandate that cements his legacy of building a military-first state and could pave the way to transfer power to one of his three sons.

It was unclear whether Kim has appeared at the meeting as he customarily does at the opening session of parliament.

North Korea’s propaganda machine has carefully managed the re-emergence of Kim from his illness through reports about his tours to factories and military bases, while only showing still photographs of the visits.

It prepared the public for his full return by saying he was on hand Sunday to watch the long-range rocket launch. On Tuesday, it showed video footage of the launch on state TV followed by a documentary on Kim where the public saw recent video images of him for the first time since his suspected stroke.