North Korea Holds Supreme People's Assembly Focusing on Economic Development... Kim Jong-un Absent (Comprehensive)

Major Overhaul of Economic Bureaucrats... Accountability for Poor Performance
Economic Budget Up 0.6% This Year... Defense Budget Remains Unchanged from Last Year

North Korea held the Supreme People's Assembly at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang on the 17th, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on the 18th. Premier Kim Deok-hoon, who attended the meeting, is seen speaking at the podium.

On the 17th, North Korea held the Supreme People's Assembly and took organizational, legislative, and budgetary measures necessary to carry out the five-year national economic development plan presented at the 8th Party Congress.

The North Korean state media, Korean Central News Agency, reported on the 18th that "the 4th session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly was held on the 17th at the Mansudae Assembly Hall."

The Supreme People's Assembly, which corresponds to the regular national assembly in the South, is the highest sovereign body under the North Korean constitution. It usually holds one regular session per year to amend the constitution and laws, appoint key national officials, approve the budget, and perform other roles.

During this session, a significant number of cabinet members leading economic policy were replaced.

Among the eight vice premiers, six new names appeared: Park Jeong-geun, Jeon Hyeon-cheol, Kim Seong-ryong, Ri Seong-hak, Park Hun, and Ju Cheol-gyu. Park Jeong-geun was appointed as the chairman of the State Planning Commission, replacing Kim Il-cheol. Ma Jong-seon took the post of Minister of Chemical Industry, Kim Yu-il became Minister of Electric Power Industry, Kim Cheol-su was appointed Minister of Mining Industry, and Jang Gyeong-il took over as Minister of Light Industry.

Ju Cheol-gyu concurrently serves as vice premier and Minister of Agriculture. Jang Chun-seong was appointed Minister of Railways, Kim Chung-seong Minister of Resource Development, Yoon Jeong-ho Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Ko Jeong-beom Minister of Finance, Ju Yong-il Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Seo Jong-jin Minister of Construction and Building Materials Industry, Kim Geum-cheol Cabinet Secretary, Jin Geum-song Minister of Labor, Im Gyeong-jae Minister of Urban Management, Park Hyeok-cheol Minister of Commerce, Ri Hyeok-gwon Minister of State Construction Supervision, Ri Guk-cheol, president of Kim Il-sung University and Minister of Higher Education of the Education Committee, Choi Gyeong-cheol Minister of Public Health, Seung Jeong-gyu Minister of Culture, Chae Seong-hak Governor of the Central Bank, Ri Cheol-san Director of the Central Statistics Bureau, and Woo Sang-cheol Chief Prosecutor of the Central Prosecutor's Office were also replaced.

This is interpreted as an attempt to hold accountable for the lack of achievements in the economic sector and to initiate reform.

Premier Kim Deok-hoon pointed out in the cabinet business report, "Serious defects appeared in the cabinet's work during the period of implementing the five-year national economic development strategy," adding, "We failed to meet the power production targets and fell short of the major economic indicators set for almost all sectors of the people's economy during the five-year strategy period."

Professor Im Eul-chul of the Institute of Far Eastern Studies at Gyeongnam University analyzed, "The notable feature regarding the cabinet composition is the generational change," and "As emphasized by General Secretary Kim Jong-un, technocrats with practical skills and expertise have been promoted."

The 4th session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea was held on the 17th at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency.

There was no mention of changes related to the State Affairs Commission members.

In April last year, the State Affairs Commission was composed of Chairman Kim Jong-un, First Vice Chairman Choe Ryong-hae, Vice Chairman Pak Pong-ju, and 11 members. At the 8th Party Congress, Pak Pong-ju retired, and at least five others, including then Premier Kim Jae-ryong, Party Vice Chairmen Ri Man-gon and Kim Hyong-jun, Chief of the General Political Bureau Kim Su-gil, and Minister of People's Security (now Minister of Social Security) Kim Jong-ho, stepped down from their posts.

However, there have been no reports that the successors who replaced them were re-elected as State Affairs Commission members.

Professor Im said, "It seems that the introduction of the state presidency system and the reorganization of the State Affairs Commission are still considered premature," adding, "For now, all efforts are expected to focus on achieving the goals of the five-year national economic development plan."

Along with last year's budget settlement, this year's budget was also prepared.

This year's national budget expenditure increased by 1.1% compared to the previous year, with the economic sector budget rising by 0.6%. Investment was concentrated on the metal and chemical industries, while budgets for key industries, agriculture, and light industry were expanded by 0.9%. The science and technology sector budget increased by 1.6%.

Additionally, the defense budget was allocated 15.9% of the total expenditure, the same scale as last year. The report on the national budget explained, "It contributed to militarily guaranteeing our people's struggle to open the way for socialist construction by qualitatively and quantitatively strengthening self-defensive national defense power centered on nuclear force."

The meeting was attended by Choe Ryong-hae, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly; Ri Byong-chol, Vice Chairman of the Party Central Military Commission; and Premier Kim Deok-hoon. Chairman Kim Jong-un and Party Secretary Jo Yong-won did not attend. The meeting concluded after one day.

The news agency stated, "The 4th session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly deeply engraves the ideology of 'putting the people first,' unity of one mind, and self-reliance, and serves as an important occasion to accelerate the historic march of our people to firmly develop the national social system and achieve new victories in the socialist cause by resolutely implementing the decisions of the 8th Party Congress."

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