|
Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) General Secretary Kim Jong Un used the 15th Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA) session to reinforce North Korea’s “two hostile states” policy against South Korea. The SPA also formalized leadership changes observed during the 9th Party Congress. North Korea convened the first session of the 15th SPA on March 22. The session re-elected Kim Jong Un as Chairman of the State Affairs Commission. Kim Jong Un stated during the SPA session that North Korea will reject any relationship with Seoul and officially designate it as the “most hostile state” towards the Kim regime. Kim again described North Korea’s nuclear weapons state as “irreversible” and denounced US actions across the world as acts of state terror, likely referencing the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The session also elected Jo Yong Won as Chairman and Pak Thae Song as Vice Chairman of the SPA Standing Committee. Kim Jae Ryong, Ri Hi Yong, Jong Kyong Thaek, Kim Song Nam, Ju Chang Il, Choe Son Hui, No Kwang Chol, Kim Tok Hun, Ri Chang Dae, Pang Tu Sop, and Kim Chol Won – who all currently hold key positions within the party – were elected as members of the Standing Committee. The Standing Committee is the highest decision-making organ of the SPA consisting of a chairman, vice chairman, secretary-general, and members. Jo announced six agenda items for the session, including amendments to the WPK Socialist Constitution.
The SPA functions largely as a ceremonial legislative body subordinate to the WPK. The 15th SPA session follows the 9th Party Congress, held from February 19 to 25, during which North Korea intensified its rhetoric rejecting dialogue with South Korea and denuclearization. North Korea has historically reinforced its policy messaging after Party Congresses by adopting related laws during SPA sessions. North Korea passed the Nuclear Policy Law in 2022, authorizing pre-emptive nuclear strikes, in line with statements made at the 8th Party Congress. Pyongyang likely pursued legislation related to bolstering the credibility of its nuclear deterrent, particularly as it seeks US acceptance of its nuclear status. Pyongyang may have also introduced amendments that formally abandon unification objectives, thereby institutionalizing its policy that the two Koreas are “hostile states.” North Korea has fortified its side of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) since Kim declared the “two hostile states” framework in 2023. North Korean state media has yet to report on the details of the announced constitutional amendments for the 15th SPA.
ISW-CDOT assessed that Jo’s removal from key party positions at the 9th Party Congress likely signaled his reassignment to the SPA. The WPK did not re-elect Jo as the Secretariat as the Organization Secretary and Director of the Organization and Guidance Department. The appointment aligns with a broader generational transition within WPK leadership, as aging officials are retired from key party roles and replaced with younger technocrats. Senior figures who supported Kim Jong Un’s early consolidation of power, including Choe Ryong Hae, Kim Yong Chol, and Ri Pyong Chol, no longer hold positions in either the party or parliament at time of writing. Jo’s move to the SPA is a reassignment instead of a purge, but SPA leadership roles are more symbolic than party positions. Jo’s career trajectory mirrors Choe Ryong Hae’s – from a central party decision-maker to SPA chairman and eventual retirement – suggesting that Jo may be on a similar track. ISW-CDOT assessed that Kim Jae Ryong has assumed Jo’s core party responsibilities, particularly within the Organization Department, which controls personnel appointments and removals. The SPA excluded Kim Yo Jong from the State Affairs Commission for the first time since 2019. Her removal likely reflects a reconfiguration of her role as the WPK Department Director, rather than a loss of power.
|
