Sejong Institute: "Kim Jong-un's 53 Public Appearances This Year... Impact of COVID-19"

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyungsoo] This year, North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un's public activities have decreased compared to the past.

According to the commentary "Characteristics and Implications of Kim Jong-un's Public Activities in 2020" released by the Sejong Institute on the 25th, the total number of Kim's public activities confirmed through North Korean media this year was 53 times (as of December 17).

Compared to the Ministry of Unification's "Analysis of Kim Jong-un's Trends," this is the lowest since he took power in 2012.

It is only about one-quarter of the 212 public activities in 2013, when he was most active. Even compared to 85 times in 2019, public activities have decreased.

Local guidance involving direct visits to major sites was conducted 8 times this year, including the construction site of the Suncheon Fertilizer Plant early in the year. These visits mainly focused on healthcare and natural disaster sites.

The impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is analyzed as the reason for the reduction in Kim's public activities.

Choi Eun-joo, a research fellow at the Sejong Institute, explained, "This year, it seems that public activities involving site visits were reduced to avoid the risk of infection amid the COVID-19 situation," adding, "Most activities were conducted through chairing meetings to assess the situation."

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