Kim Jong-un's First 'Untact' Video Conference... Afraid of COVID-19?

Central Military Commission Meeting Held via Non-Face-to-Face Video Conference
Possibility of Kim Jong Un's COVID-19 Infection Concerned
Emphasis on 'Level Adjustment' Through Unprecedented Format

North Korea's Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, Kim Jong-un

Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, made an unprecedented decision to 'postpone' the previously announced ultra-hardline military actions against South Korea, yet he issued this directive through the first-ever 'video conference' rather than an in-person meeting. This has been interpreted both as a way to modulate the intensity of the message through an unusual format and as a reflection of the COVID-19 situation.

On the 24th, North Korea announced that the preliminary meeting of the 7th Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party, 5th session, was held via video conference. This was a significant meeting determining the direction of inter-Korean relations, conducted in a non-face-to-face (untact) manner to make decisions. The Ministry of Unification understands that this is the first time Chairman Kim has presided over a video conference.

Professor Im Eul-chul of the Far East Institute at Kyungnam University said, "The fact that a video conference was held unusually suggests the need to understand whether COVID-19 has spread to the extent that an in-person meeting was difficult." He added, "It is possible that the preliminary meeting was held via video conference due to concerns about the possibility of infection of Chairman Kim, making it impossible to hold the main meeting immediately."

However, since North Korea showed confidence in its quarantine measures by resuming in-person classes for elementary, middle, and high schools after a two-month delay earlier this month due to the COVID-19 situation, some analysts argue it is difficult to directly link COVID-19 to this meeting. In fact, North Korea held the 7th Political Bureau meeting of the 13th session in June and the 7th Central Military Commission's 4th expanded meeting in May as in-person meetings despite the COVID-19 situation.

This supports the analysis that the use of a video conference format was a way to manage the message. Hong Min, head of the North Korea Research Division at the Korea Institute for National Unification, explained, "There is an aspect of controlling the level of Chairman Kim's involvement in the matter to modulate the intensity of the message." North Korean media did not release photos related to the video conference or images of Chairman Kim presiding over the meeting. Hong interpreted this as "considering the burden of the repercussions if photos of Chairman Kim were released."

Meanwhile, the meeting held via video conference was attended by some members, including Ri Pyong-chol, Vice Chairman of the Party Central Military Commission and a key figure in nuclear and missile affairs who was promoted at last month's expanded meeting. This is the first time North Korea has held a preliminary meeting of the Party Central Military Commission since Kim Jong-un came to power.

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