At 9:00 am on January 1st, Kim Jong Eun delivered his second televised New Year’s address. According to a Daily NK report, the North Korean leader focused on promoting economic development by increasing agricultural output, establishing secure, monolithic leadership, and improving relations between the North and South. Although Kim did not mention his Uncle Jang Song Taek by name, he stated that national unity had strengthened “by 100 times following the purge of counterrevolutionaries” – an apparent reference to his uncle. Park Young Ho of the Korean Institute for National Unification (KINU) commented to the Daily NK that Kim Jong Eun’s apparent focus in the address was to “eliminate factions that might try to challenge his system” and that furthermore the speech proved that his system of absolute authority continues to be unstable.
This year’s speech, which emphasized agriculture as a means for economic development, differed from Kim’s first address on January 1st, 2013. Last year he prioritized science and technology as key components in nation building. This change in tone reflects internal events as the 2013 address followed North Korea’s successful launch of an artificial satellite, while 2014 marks the 50th anniversary of Kim Il Sung’s agricultural policy piece, “Rural Theses on the Solution to the Rural Question.” Kim Jong Eun called for ideological, technological and cultural revolutions in rural areas to bring about a decisive turn in agricultural production. He then connected increases in agricultural output to food security and economic development.
Early reports from South Korean media outlets highlighted Kim’s emphasis on improving inter-Korean relations; however, the Daily NK suggests that closer inspection reveals limited cause for optimism. Yonhap News initially reported Kim saying that North Korea would make aggressive efforts to improve relations between the North and South. Kim did suggest that a “climate for improved relations between North and South Korea must be created,” yet his solution for the reunification problem is hardly viable. He called for the, “rejection of foreign forces and the maintenance of Our Nation Itself.” North Korea has long demanded that the United States military withdraw from the Korean Peninsula to allow for the Koreas to address the unification issue “between countrymen.” Additionally, Kim Jong Eun made no mention to improving relations with the United States during his address.
The Washington Post highlighted Kim’s statements about stamping out alien ideology and decadent lifestyle that could function to undermine his political system. This acknowledgment of potential dissent is noteworthy as the North Korean government has used propaganda for decades to project a sense of unquestionable loyalty to the Kim family. Some analysts suggest that Kim Jong Eun has abandoned this mythical view and instead opted to highlight punishments for disloyalty.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/n-koreas-kim-says-purge-of-uncle-the-correctdecision/2013/12/31/dbae1 9b0-729a-11e3-9389-09ef9944065e_story.html
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2014/01/02/2014010200700.html
