By Pramod Raj Sedhain.
The ruling style of the young leadership in one of the world’s most closed states – North Korea has been the world’s attention. Swiss-educated young leader Kim Jong-un came to the power as a successor of his father Kim Jong Ill when he died on 17 December 2011. Kim Jong-un’s leadership has been a significant change.
Young Leader: New ruling style
The first and foremost changing signal to the world’s most secretive and isolated country’s North Korea has been the new leader Kim Jong Un’s ruling style. The young Kim’s first speech in public since assuming the leadership of North Korea was on April 15, after the failed rocket launch. On the Century birthday of Kim Il-sung, his grandfather, Kim, the 20-minute public speech demonstrated open leadership style rather than his father’s ruling style. His father Kim Jong Ill had given a single public speech in 1992 on the occasion of the military parade. He spoke a single sentence: “Glory to the heroic soldiers of the People’s Army.” That is only the sentence in his 17 years in the power. He was very rare in public appearance as well.
Kim’s style is public friendly leadership and is similar to his charismatic grandfather Kim Ill Sung – more interactive and frequently public apparent. Young Kim’s 2013 New Year’s speech was also quite different which was about peace, stability and reunification. Kim Jong Un has given more than 15 speeches and public statements since he assumed the power. According to an article published on May 1, 2013 in the North’s Ruling Party mouthpiece Rodong Sinmun (attributed to Kim Jong-un), one of the first occasions he used “reform” in a positive connotation in a publicized written document. North Korean state controlled media excessively showed the young leader’s footage in different programs aimed at boosting the popularity of the young new leader. Media has praised his daily activities and tried to promote the cult of personality. The media has also been frequently showing the pictures of Young leader with his fashionable wife, former singer Ri sol Ju. Kim holds the legacy, maintaining the power of whole country and strengthening the personality cult. The young leader has not changed the course of policy but his ruling style is different from his father.
Reformist in Key Post
North Korea remains as one of the world’s least developed countries. The young leader’s priority has been to strengthen the country’s economy. North Korean economy has sharply hit the UN tight sanctions and the persistent severe food shortages. Kim has been struggling to revive its centrally planned crumbling economy since he assumed the power. Kim has chosen a new premier Pak Pong-ju, who reportedly favored Chinese-style reforms. Reformist premier re-emergence showed Kim the economic policy changing interest. It has been widely believed that Pak’s appointment is likely to reform North Korean economy. He was appointed as premier in 2003, and North Korea passed modest economic reforms but rolled-back by 2005. North Korea also changed some government and party leadership at both the Central Committee plenum and Supreme People’s Assembly meeting but some vital ministry replaced more hardliner also.
Replacement of Senior Military hardliner
North Korea is the world’s most heavily militarized society and nuclear-armed state. The one million regular military has been the backbone of Kim’s power. North Korea has “military first” policy as a principle guiding ideology and political and economic life. Military dominates all affairs of the country. According to North Korean Ruling Workers Party mouth piece, on April 2012, Rodong Sinmun Kim Jong Un promoted 70 officers to the rank of general. After some months, the young leader surprised everyone by removing the vice-marshal and chief of general staff of the Korean people’s army, Ri Yong-ho, who was a key pillar of Kim’s Power succession after the death of his father Kim Jong-il. One of eight members of the regime’s inner circle who escorted the hearse at his state funeral of Kim father and the most powerful man on country Ri was major player of senior military figures pledge allegiance to Kim Jong-un leadership in transition phase of power succession. According to the South Korean Unification Ministry figure, since the rising to power in December 2011, Kim Jong Un has replaced nearly half of the country’s 218 top military, party and government officials. He is trying to maintain by strengthening his regime in personal order and authority.
Boost the cell phone subscriber
According to government official source, there are some 2 million North Korean mobile user subscribers. The most isolated people have recently accessed to the country’s expensive mobile phone but international calls are banned. Mobile services are well enough in the capital and other cities but internet access is limited because they are too expensive. Mobile phones costs nearly $200. Recently North Korea has claimed of manufacturing hand phones. According to North Korea’s government news agency KCNA, the phone named is “Arirang,” and feature is Android that runs a version with a camera. KCNA released news and photos that Kim Jong Un visited the mobile factory in May 11, 2013. The official name of the 3G mobile phone service in Koryolink a state owned and joint venture of Orascom. Since 2008 December, an Egyptian company Orascom operated the mobile in North Korea. In 2002, North Korea started a joint venture with a Thai company to manufacture mobile phones at the Rajin-Sonbon special economic zone. But the service was stopped.
Booming the entertainment construction
The secretive state under the new young leadership is also trying to build a lot of entertainment and tourism sites aimed at boosting foreign travelers and investors. Recently, North Korea opened a luxury multi-million dollar ski resort – purpose is clear – to encourage more tourism and boosting the business. The first North Korean mega project – the ski resort is built with just a 10-month initiation of the New Leader. The 70 miles multi-level ski runs a hotel, helipad and cable cars. The resort’s two hotels will consist of a 250-room, eight-storey building for foreigners and a 150-room hotel for Koreans, according to media. North Korean ski season does not begin until December.
The new water park – PyongyangPleasurePark in east Pyongyang opened in October 2013. The roughly 27 acres has a water park, touring slides, wading pools, restaurants, 3D movies, play arcade games and drive dodgem cars facility. Another RungaTheme Park in Pyongyang was the first Kim Jong Un inaugurated park in August, 2012. There are highly trained dolphins to roller-coasters, water-park to a mini-golf course, water slide, beach volleyball, basket-ball and volleyball courts in the park.
North Korea had no entertainment parks since 1984. The KaesonYouthPark was built with the technical and financial support of Russia and China. But the new young ruler has been trying to boost the country’s image and popularity. North Korea is also building a mini-golf theme park and hotels are also being renovated. North Korea is also trying to build new fitness centers, duty-free shops, and world class restaurant, according to the government media.
Transformation of Culture
Music, film and art are often state-controlled in North Korea. However, in recent times under the new leadership, music and art have made a leap forward. Music, art and films in North Korea, which used to focus and reflect much of the country’s traditions, now, are more inclined towards modernity. Moranbong Band (named formed capital Pyongyang district Moranbong like South Korean Gangam Syle) – female music group was organized in 2012 by new Leader Kim Jong-un. The Moranbong Band’s first performance was a surprise during its inaugural concert in July 2012. Disney characters in the background, short skirts, trendy hair girl, colorful stage lighting, pop music with an electric band culture transformation scene showed the whole world.
The modern stylist and new leader established the Moranbong Band which replaced the traditional Unhasu Orchestra, which was founded directly by late Leader Kim Jong Ill in 2009. The band had disappeared from public since August. North Korean News agency KCNA attributed leader Kim Jong Un about a new band as required by the new century.
The films used to depict the country’s history, revolution, military, or military-oriented plot, and even supported the state and the party, or aimed at boosting the image of a leader. But in recent times, the whole theme has changed with the films beginning to prioritize on love and sentiments with pop and western-styled music as ingredients. The film “Comrade Kim Goes Flying” is one of the movies breaking the traditional method.
Use of Internet and electric gadget
North Korea is trying to boost the electronic gadgets, digital cameras, DVD players, pen drives among other electric items. Named as Samjiyon – the home made touch-screen contains an analog TV receiver tablet, which costs nearly $250. It operates on an Android operating system and is equipped with Angry Birds, ebooks, Microsoft Office.
North Korea has some broadband, including optical fiber links between major institutions producing nationwide speeds of up to 2.5 Gbit/s. The free domestic Kwangmyong network has a limited access to the global Internet Limited. But the number of registered IP addresses is just over a thousand.
North Korean domestic intranet system “Kwangmyong” developed by the KoreaComputerCenter has been offering mostly to connect universities, cybercafés and other government institution hosting websites and e-mails.
Changing the Public Life
It’s very difficult to verify the whole North Korean lifestyle but in capital Pyongyang, the lifestyle has been changing. People are becoming fashion conscious. Fashionable people are seen in the capital’s restaurants and parks. But foreigners are constantly accompanied by government guides and are not allowed to speak to people. North Korean government is not capable to provide basic services like food, medicine and other fundamental necessities.
According to South Korean parliamentary report, North Korea’s import of luxury goods has seen a sharp increase during the new leadership’s time.
