NK to Maintain Oppression Policy Until Succession Complete

NK to Maintain Oppression Policy Until Succession Complete. October. 01, 2010 12:02. zsh75@donga.com.

North Korea`s heir apparent Kim Jong Un is expected to implement a policy of strong oppression of the North Korean elite and people until his power succession is firmly established.

In Tuesday`s conference of the North Korean Workers’ Party, the communist country`s leadership appointed leading officials of state power apparatuses to the party`s newly established Central Military Commission.

The move is interpreted as Pyongyang`s intent to effectively cope with an emergency situation, including popular unrest, that might arise in the process of the father-to-son succession.

Kim, however, will likely allow market activities by his people for the time being apparently to soothe domestic resentment against last year’s disastrous currency reform and garner public support for his succession.

After the North publicly praised China`s reform and opening following Kim Jong Il’s visit to China in August, certain experts speculated on the possibility that the party conference would decide shifts in Pyongyang’s economic policy.

Most experts in Seoul, however, say it is hard to expect the North to implement fundamental changes resembling Chinese-style reform and opening, noting that any policy change by Pyongyang would be very limited.