North Korea’s Workers’ Party Secretary Kim Jong Un made an unusual statement in his report summarizing the 9th Party Congress, emphasizing that the Party Central Committee will directly engage in future diplomatic activities. Analysts interpret this as Kim’s intention to increase his personal involvement in summit diplomacy.
On Thursday, the National Security Strategy Institute (NSSI) held a press conference on Evaluating North Korea’s 9th Party Congress and Future Outlook, presenting this analysis.
According to the party’s official newspaper Rodong Sinmun on Thursday, Kim stressed during his report on January 20-21 that in foreign affairs, under the leadership of the Party Central Committee, it must prioritize protecting national interests as the primary mission and principle. It should proactively and strategically conduct foreign activities to expand and strengthen the country’s international authority and influence.
He further stated that as the Republic’s international status has significantly risen, the importance of foreign activities has become more prominent. To ensure all of the country’s foreign activities are carried out uniformly and without bias, the leadership of the Party Central Committee is essential. Kim added that given the severe conditions of the revolution and the unprecedentedly tense international situation, the direct involvement of the Party Central Committee in the country’s foreign activities is a necessary requirement. Therefore, all foreign activities of the country must be executed under the direct guidance and involvement of the Party Central Committee.
The NSSI analyzed that the direct involvement of the Party Central Committee essentially means Secretary Kim will personally engage in key diplomatic matters. This allows for flexibility in foreign and inter-Korean relations amid pressing global circumstances and suggests a potential increase in Kim’s summit diplomacy activities.
Ri Il-kyu, a senior research fellow at NSSI and former North Korean diplomat, noted that in the past, aside from diplomacy with major powers, Kim wasn’t heavily involved in diplomatic affairs. However, moving forward, he believes he intends to take full control of both major and minor issues, conducting summit diplomacy more frequently.
Kim Il-ki, head of the North Korea Research Office at NSSI, remarked that it’s unusual for Kim to mention overseeing diplomacy in a summary report or state of the union address. This likely indicates his intention to achieve tangible results in diplomacy as well.