Rattan furniture

[webfact]

North Korea changes constitution to solidify Kim Jong Un’s rule

 

FILE PHOTO: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits a cosmetics factory in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang on October 28, 2017. KCNA/via REUTERS/Files

 

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea's parliament has approved changes to the country's constitution to solidify leader Kim Jong Un’s role as head of state, state media said on Thursday.

 

The move comes after Kim was formally named head of state and commander-in-chief of the military in a new constitution in July that analysts said was possibly aimed at preparing for a peace treaty with the United States.

 

North Korea has long called for a peace deal with the United States to normalize relations and end the technical state of war that has existed since the 1950-1953 Korean War, concluded with an armistice, rather than a peace treaty.

 

Kim’s legal status as "representing our state has been further consolidated to firmly ensure the monolithic guidance of the Supreme Leader over all state affairs," state news agency KCNA quoted Choe Ryong Hae, president of the presidium of the supreme people's assembly, or titular parliament, as saying.

The presidium president had historically been the nominal head of state.

 

North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un rules with an iron fist like his father and grandfather before him. But he wasn't actually head of state...until now. Lucy Fielder reports.

 

But the new constitution said Kim, as chairman of the State Affairs Commission (SAC), a top governing body created in 2016, was the supreme representative of all the Korean people, which means head of state, as well as "commander-in-chief".

 

A previous constitution simply called Kim "supreme leader" who commanded the country's "overall military force".

 

Thursday's constitutional amendments appear to confirm that North Korea's legal system will now recognise Kim as head of state.

 

The new constitution authorises Kim to promulgate legislative ordinances and major decrees and decisions and appoint or recall diplomatic envoys to foreign countries, KCNA said.

 

"With the amendment, Kim Jong Un is reviving his grandfather’s head of state system," said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at the Sejong Institute. "He has become a de facto head of state."

 

In reality Kim, a third-generation hereditary leader, rules North Korea with an iron fist and the title change will mean little to the way he wields power.

 

The back-to-back constitutional revision is unprecedented, said Rachel Minyoung Lee, an analyst with NK News, a website that tracks North Korea.

 

"By further bolstering the SAC chairman's authority, Kim Jong Un has emerged as the most powerful leader in North Korean history," she said.

 

There has been scant progress in the U.S. aim of getting North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons programme despite three meetings between President Donald Trump and Kim.

 

Trump has said he and Kim agreed at their last meeting to resume working-level talks, but these have yet to happen and North Korea has conducted multiple missile tests since, while accusing Washington of breaking a pledge to stop joint military exercises with South Korea.

 

(Reporting by Josh Smith; Additional reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-08-30

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[kotsak]

At least in North Korea there is a respect for the constitution.. ????

[Tug]

I wonder what would happen if someone said no not really they and their family would be imprisoned or killed

[Scott]

Off-topic post removed.  

[grumbleweed]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

A previous constitution simply called Kim "supreme leader"

Well he can't have "The Chosen One" that's taken. Unless Trump's interested in a little name trading with his buddy

 

[ezzra]

Here's a man, a single man, who's at will, impoverish, imprison and execute his people and anyone whom he perceives as a threat to his dictatorship and the world seems to be ok with it... 

[Tarteso]

A lot of chosen ones these days.

[Emdog]

"...firmly ensure the monolithic guidance of the Supreme Leader over all state affairs,"

Just a ploy to make fanboy Trump jealous

[Puchaiyank]

North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un rules with an iron fist like his father and grandfather before him. But he wasn't actually head of state.

 

There have been a few N. Koreans challenge his authority...they are no longer with us!   ????

[tifino]

hey... they can go ahead and solidify&sink the little one, into bricks'n'mortar... any time they want

 

asap

 

 

[Cryingdick]

I changed my brand of toilet paper today, and it has been more meaningful than this news.

[Srikcir]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Kim’s legal status as "representing our state has been further consolidated to firmly ensure the monolithic guidance of the Supreme Leader over all state affairs,"

From the video, "What's behind the change? Probably [Kim] preparing for a peace treaty with the United States, analysts say."

 

I doubt this has any effect on Trump who likely didn't know that Kim wasn't officially Head of State. The POTUS doesn't hold summit meetings and direct negotiations with anyone less than Head of State in any case. I'm sure Trump's senior advisors recognize Kim's true status in North Korea.

 

Rather this change might be more directed towards South Korea who has been pressing Kim for a peace treaty unencumbered by any Trump denuclearization deal. Trump has already indicated that South Korea will not be allowed one-on-one deals with North Korea (otherwise U.S. economic sanctions against South Korea and/or drawdown of U.S. forces in South Korea?) without U.S. approval.

 

So the change might be politically strategic (as the change wasn't necessary internally for North Korea) to simply drive a further political wedge between the U.S. and South Korea. That in turn can stress Trump further and being unpredictable, move Trump to some rash actions that Kim might justifiably in the world view use to retaliate in some fashion to further Trump's erratic behavior and discredit Trump as a peace negotiator.

 

[klauskunkel]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

North Korea changes constitution

[sammieuk1]

The anti aircraft gun was of course not needed in this decision as everyone also agreed they wanted to carry on breathing????

[Jack Mountain]

3 hours ago, Tug said:

I wonder what would happen if someone said no not really they and their family would be imprisoned or killed

A Seth Rich treatment you mean? Yes of course, at least in the western media and then they will ..... resurrect. 

[RichardColeman]

[RANGER55]

4 hours ago, Srikcir said:

From the video, "What's behind the change? Probably [Kim] preparing for a peace treaty with the United States, analysts say."

 

I doubt this has any effect on Trump who likely didn't know that Kim wasn't officially Head of State. The POTUS doesn't hold summit meetings and direct negotiations with anyone less than Head of State in any case. I'm sure Trump's senior advisors recognize Kim's true status in North Korea.

 

Rather this change might be more directed towards South Korea who has been pressing Kim for a peace treaty unencumbered by any Trump denuclearization deal. Trump has already indicated that South Korea will not be allowed one-on-one deals with North Korea (otherwise U.S. economic sanctions against South Korea and/or drawdown of U.S. forces in South Korea?) without U.S. approval.

 

So the change might be politically strategic (as the change wasn't necessary internally for North Korea) to simply drive a further political wedge between the U.S. and South Korea. That in turn can stress Trump further and being unpredictable, move Trump to some rash actions that Kim might justifiably in the world view use to retaliate in some fashion to further Trump's erratic behavior and discredit Trump as a peace negotiator.

 

Its more likely you didn’t take your Meds this morning for your TDS!

[Chazar]

North Korea or Thailand?

[Chazar]

A  man  loved by his  people, leading the nation, an avid thinker.......yeah sounds  familiar

[timendres]