North Korea Holds Politburo Meeting on COVID Response... Kim Yo-jong Solidifies Position as 'Second-in-Command'

November 11 Workers' Party Political Bureau Meeting... Kim Jong Un Attends Social
Discusses COVID-19 Measures... Minor Personnel Changes Including Kim Yo Jong and Ri Son Gwon

On the 11th, North Korea held a Workers' Party Political Bureau meeting chaired by Chairman Kim Jong Un to discuss measures against the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the Korean Central News Agency reported on the 12th. Chairman Kim presided over the meeting at the headquarters building of the Party Central Committee.

On the 11th, North Korea held a Workers' Party Political Bureau meeting attended by Chairman Kim Jong Un. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, they adjusted this year's national plan and made minor personnel changes, including reinstating Kim Yo Jong, the Party's First Deputy Department Director, as a candidate member of the Political Bureau.

On the 12th, North Korea's state media, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), reported that the Workers' Party Political Bureau meeting was held the previous day at the Party Central Committee headquarters, with Chairman Kim Jong Un presiding.

At this meeting, the following topics were discussed: ▲ 'On further thoroughly establishing national measures to protect the lives and safety of our people in response to the global pandemic' ▲ 'The status of the 2019 national budget execution and the 2020 national budget' ▲ 'Personnel matters to be submitted to the 3rd session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly' ▲ 'Organizational matters.'

The meeting first mentioned the need to continuously maintain the quarantine system in response to the prolonged COVID-19 situation and stated that "starting from the current domestic and international environment, measures were studied and discussed to adjust and change some policy tasks in the work to implement the decisions of the 7th Central Committee's 5th Plenary Meeting," according to the report.

The report explained the background for changing the national plan, saying, "The virus epidemic that occurred at the end of last year has rapidly spread worldwide, becoming a global catastrophe crossing borders and continents. The risk of virus infection cannot be resolved in a short period, and therefore, this environment can become a condition that creates certain obstacles to our struggle and progress."

In this regard, a joint decision by the Workers' Party, State Affairs Commission, and Cabinet titled 'On further thoroughly establishing national measures to protect the lives and safety of our people in response to the global pandemic' was also adopted.

Reflecting this decision, the issue of setting this year's budget to be approved at the 3rd session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly was also approved.

It was confirmed that the 3rd session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly, which was scheduled to be held on the 10th, has been postponed.

Although the Supreme People's Assembly is nominally the highest sovereign body of the state with legislative power, in North Korea's party-state system, it merely ratifies the decisions made by the Party Political Bureau meetings afterward. Since the Political Bureau meeting was held on the 11th, it is expected that the Supreme People's Assembly will convene around the 12th or 13th.

Kim Yo-jong, the first deputy director of the Workers' Party and younger sister of North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un, expressed shock at the Blue House's concerns over North Korea's joint strike drills, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on the 3rd of last month.
In a statement titled "Expressing Shock at the Blue House's Incompetent Way of Thinking" issued that night, Kim Yo-jong referred to the People's Army's frontline long-range artillery unit's firepower combat training held the previous day, stating, "We did not conduct the training to threaten anyone," and emphasized it was on a self-defensive level. The photo shows Kim Yo-jong accompanying Kim Jong-un during his visit to Vietnam on March 2, 2019, paying respects at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Photo by Kim Jung-ho.

◆Kim Yo Jong, North Korea's De Facto Second-in-Command

North Korea also released a separate statement related to this Political Bureau meeting, announcing that Kim Yo Jong, Chairman Kim Jong Un's younger sister and the Party's First Deputy Department Director who reportedly moved to the Organization and Guidance Department at the expanded Political Bureau meeting in March, was elected as a candidate member of the Political Bureau.

Kim Yo Jong is assessed to be solidifying her position not only as Chairman Kim Jong Un's 'spokesperson' but also as the de facto second-in-command in power.

It was confirmed that Kim Yo Jong was dismissed from her position as a candidate member of the Political Bureau at the Party plenary meeting held in early April following the breakdown of the Hanoi North Korea-U.S. summit in February last year, but has now returned at this meeting.

This year, as a deputy minister-level official (First Deputy Department Director), she has unusually issued harsh statements criticizing South Korea and the U.S. in her own name, acting as Chairman Kim Jong Un's spokesperson.

By rejoining the Political Bureau, the Party's highest policy decision-making body, through this meeting, it appears she is accelerating the consolidation of her status not only as a symbolic member of the 'royal family' but also as the de facto second-in-command in power.

Hong Min, head of the North Korea Research Division at the Korea Institute for National Unification, analyzed, "This should be seen as a normalization of her previous status and an election befitting her actual position."

Additionally, at this meeting, Ri Son Gwon, who became Foreign Minister in early January, secured a candidate member position in the Political Bureau, and Pak Jong Chon, who was abruptly appointed Chief of the General Staff at the end of last year with an artillery background, was promoted to a full member of the Political Bureau.

However, Ri Son Gwon did not ascend to the Political Bureau member position previously held by his predecessor Ri Yong Ho.

Except for inter-Korean relations, Ri Son Gwon has virtually no diplomatic experience, so it is expected that he will proceed through gradual steps depending on his future 'performance.'

Hong said, "The election of Foreign Minister Ri Son Gwon as a candidate member of the Political Bureau is not surprising, as it is natural to grant party authority to the head responsible for external negotiations, which is an ex officio nature." However, he added, "The boldness of appointing Ri Son Gwon as Foreign Minister also reflects Chairman Kim Jong Un's personal 'trust' in him, which can be glimpsed through this personnel decision."

Considering the COVID-19 situation, the meeting was conducted on a small scale with only about 20 Political Bureau members and candidate members attending.

It was confirmed through photos released by North Korea that Choe Ryong Hae, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly and First Vice Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, who had not appeared in public since late February, also attended this meeting.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.