Kim tightens grip on power as ‘supreme representative of all the Korean people’

KIM JONG-UN has not only been re-elected as leader of North Korea, but has been given the title of “supreme representative of all the Korean people”. He was reappointed chairman of the State Affairs Commission on Thursday because of his “outstanding ideological and theoretical wisdom and experienced and seasoned leadership”, state media reported.

Analysts say the move solidifies Kim’s grip on power eight years after he inherited rule from his father, Kim Jong-il. As part of a top-ranking reshuffle, Kim Yong-nam, who has held the largely ceremonial role of head of state for almost 20 years, was replaced by Choe Ryong-hae.

Seen as Kim’s right-hand man, Mr Hae was placed on a US sanctions list last year for alleged human rights abuses. “The transition and power consolidation of the Kim Jong-un regime is complete,” said Michael Madden, an expert with the Stimson Center, a US think tank.

“This is probably the largest partygovernment shake-up in many years,” he said. The move came as Moon Jae-in, South Korea’s leader, met Donald Trump, the US president, in Washington in an attempt to kickstart talks about sanctions imposed in response to Pyongyang’s nuclear programme.

Mr Trump said he was open to a third summit with Kim but stressed he was looking for “a big deal”, meaning his atomic weapons must be dismantled.

Before the meeting, Kim threatened to “deal a telling blow to the hostile forces who go with bloodshot eyes, miscalculating that sanctions can bring the DPRK [North Korea] to its knees”.