North Korea conducted what it refers to as a parliamentary election on March 15, and the results were just what you would expect.
Voter turnout reportedly reached 99.99%, with 99.93% of ballots cast in favor of Kim Jong Un, according to reports emerging from the DPRK. Their Central Election Committee also confirmed that all 687 seats in their 15th Supreme People’s Assembly were swept by the Workers’ Party of Korea and its allies.
Zero surprises. Zero competition.
Buried underneath the election numbers is a sweeping purge of the old guard, the quiet elevation of Kim Jong Un’s inner circle, and the continued rise of a woman The Dallas Express has been tracking as North Korea’s most dangerous political wildcard.
The “Reshuffle”
More than 70% of the newly elected deputies are fresh faces – potentially one of the biggest overhauls of officials in North Korean history.
Analysts have described the move as a deliberate strategy to dismantle growing inner powers not connected to Kim Jong Un, and to – once again – boost his most loyal cohorts, per API News.
One of the biggest changes is the appointment of Choe Ryong-hae, who holds the chairmanship of the “Assembly’s Standing Committee.” He was relieved of his post and was absent from the new parliamentary list, according to the South Korean outlet Yonhap News.
Taking his likely place is Jo Yong-won, one of Kim Jong Un’s closest aides. Jo is widely expected to be elected Chairman of the Standing Committee when the new body convenes in Pyongyang on March 22.
That session on the 22nd will carry weight beyond leadership titles. The Assembly is expected to ratify a constitutional revision that could formally declare South Korea a “hostile state,” potentially cutting off any future reunification programs between the two countries.
The 0.07%
North Korea’s state media reported “opposing votes” – potentially being the first recorded in a Supreme People’s Assembly election since the 1950s.
That number, -0.07%, is tiny, but its inclusion alone is a message.
The North Korean regime does not accidentally release data. The move may be viewed as another propaganda strategy, in which Kim Jong Un stages a bit of “dissent” on purpose so it appears as if there’s a bit of democracy.
Kim Yo Jong’s Long Game
The deputy list confirms what The Dallas Express covered in February: Kim Yo Jong (Kim Jong Un’s sister) is consolidating more and more power in Pyongyang.
Kim Yo Jong now holds the position of Director of the General Affairs Department of the Workers’ Party. Her appointment cements her as far more than a messenger for her brother, as she has her foot in the door of almost every political assembly and committee within the DPRK.
However, as DX has previously reported, Kim Jong Un is also actively grooming his teenage daughter, Kim Ju Ae, as a potential successor to lead the country. Still, her official debut within North Korea’s Workers’ Party is likely at least five years from now, once she meets the country’s requirements for party membership.
That five-year window is precisely when Kim Yo Jong’s accumulation of power and authority could become harder to contain. If Kim Jong Un were to die while his daughter remains politically untested, Kim Yo Jong could likely seize the moment. And the March 15 elections in North Korea seem to have handed her more power.
What The DPRK Thinks Of The U.S.A.
Kim Jong Un has reportedly said that if the United States respects the DPRK’s position as a nuclear weapons state and withdraws its hostile policy, “there is no reason why we cannot get on well with the U.S.” – while also designating South Korea its “most hostile” relationship, per The Japan Times.
