North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been reappointed as the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, reports Baltimore Chronicle via Reuters. The reappointment followed the first session of the Supreme People’s Assembly, which convened the day prior. Notably, Kim’s influential sister, Kim Yo Jong, was absent from the list of members of the State Affairs Commission, the nation’s highest governing body, where she had served since 2021.
South Korea’s Ministry of Unification stated that it is investigating the reasons behind her omission, but analysts suggest that her absence does not necessarily indicate a loss of influence. Professor Lim Il-chol of Kean University noted, “Her absence reflects a strategic redistribution of roles rather than a decline in status,” adding that Kim Yo Jong continues to hold substantial authority as the director of a key department within the ruling Workers’ Party, where she may now play a more significant, party-focused role in coordinating policy.
Reuters reports that the Supreme People’s Assembly, which formally endorses state policy, typically convenes following the Workers’ Party congress to implement party decisions into law. During the current session in Pyongyang, delegates are expected to discuss amendments to the socialist constitution, the appointment of the chairman of the State Affairs Commission, and the selection of other senior state officials.
The assembly will also review North Korea’s five-year economic plan. Observers note that attention is focused on whether Pyongyang will revise the constitution to formally enshrine Kim Jong Un’s policy toward South Korea, grounded in the concept of “two hostile states.” These developments come amid ongoing tensions on the Korean Peninsula and signal the consolidation of Kim’s authority over both state and party structures.
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