Surprise, North Korea’s leader for life Kim Jong-Un has another addition to his expanding portfolio of titles: on Monday at the congress of the ruling Workers Party, he was anointed general secretary, a title also held by his later father Kim Jong-Il and his grandfather Kim Il-Sung. He is seen as consolidating his grip on the party apparatus at a time when the economy is in crisis, given U.S. sanctions and his self-isolation policies.
Kim set new economic development goals with the focus on producing more consumer goods but it was left unclear how this was to be achieved. There was more focus on his promise to take on America with new nuclear weapons including hypersonic missiles.
Reports spoke of a military parade or perhaps even a rehearsal on Sunday night. The parade may have featured some of the new weapon systems that Kim has promised his impoverished people.
