Kim Jong-un Presides Over WPK Politburo Meeting... No Mention of South Korean Official's Death Incident

Choson Central News Agency Hosts the 18th Politburo Meeting

North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un visited the flood damage site in Daecheong-ri, Eunpa County, Hwanghaebuk-do, again after a month to inspect the restoration progress, the Korean Central News Agency reported on the 12th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] North Korean Workers' Party Chairman Kim Jong-un presided over a Workers' Party Political Bureau meeting but made no mention of the 'South Korean official shooting death' incident.

On the 30th, the Korean Central News Agency reported that Chairman Kim presided over the 18th Political Bureau meeting of the 7th term at the Party Central Committee headquarters building the previous day.

The meeting pointed out "a series of shortcomings arising in the efforts to prevent the spread threat of the malignant virus (novel coronavirus infection), and deeply studied and discussed relevant issues to implement the national emergency epidemic prevention work more intensively," the agency reported.

However, it did not specify what the 'shortcomings' entailed.

Additionally, the meeting included a report on the global COVID-19 spread situation, and the agency reported that "complacency, negligence, irresponsibility, and laxity in the quarantine sector were thoroughly warned against."

It was further conveyed that "we emphasized the need to devise quarantine measures more thoroughly in our own way and wisdom, to raise the popular quarantine atmosphere and the all-people conscious unity, and to firmly uphold a steel-like quarantine system and order."

Earlier, North Korea sent a notification containing Chairman Kim's apology to the Blue House through the United Front Department regarding the incident where a South Korean official who went missing on the 25th in the waters off Soyeonpyeongdo in the West Sea was shot dead in North Korean waters, but this fact has not been disclosed by North Korean state media or internally.

Chairman Kim Jong-un. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Accordingly, it is possible that the South Korean official shooting incident was not discussed even privately at the Political Bureau meeting the previous day.

Some speculate that holding a meeting to discuss COVID-19 quarantine issues again during a sensitive time when anti-North sentiment in South Korean society has increased due to the official shooting death incident may be an intention to highlight that the shooting of the South Korean official occurred during quarantine measures.

The meeting also discussed projects related to the upcoming 75th anniversary of the Party's founding, just ten days away, as well as recovery from flood and typhoon damage.

The agency stated, "The Party Central Committee Political Bureau reviewed the Party and national projects carried out to mark the 75th anniversary of the Party's founding and the state of disaster recovery," adding, "It raised and discussed organizational measures necessary to successfully guarantee these projects."

Furthermore, the meeting dealt with 'organizational' (personnel) matters but did not disclose the results. The agency evaluated this Political Bureau meeting as "taking practical measures to grandly celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Party's founding as a true people's festival amid unprecedented disasters and crisis, and to successfully conclude this year, which marks the completion of the five-year national economic development strategy," calling it "an important occasion to stabilize and improve the people's lives."

Attending the meeting were Chief of the General Staff Pak Jong-chon, Minister of State Security Jeong Kyong-taek, Minister of Social Security Kim Jong-ho, Party Department Head Pak Myong-sun, First Deputy Director of the Party Organization Guidance Department Jo Yong-won, and Deputy Director of the Party Propaganda and Agitation Department Hyun Song-wol.

Also present were Party Vice Chairmen Pak Pong-ju, Kim Jae-ryong, Choe Hwi, Kim Yong-chol, Standing Political Bureau members and Political Bureau members and alternate members including Cabinet Vice Premiers Ri Ryong-nam, Im Chol-ung, and Kim Il-chol.

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