[Global NK Commentary] Kim Jong-un, the MZ Generation Leader: Changes in His First Decade in Power

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2022 marks the tenth year of Kim Jong-un's rule, a year that, in North Korean terminology, corresponds to a "breaking point." This year is being recorded as politically significant, not only as a decade has passed since Kim Jong-un became the supreme leader of the Party and state, but also as it commemorates the 110th and 80th birthdays of his grandfather and father, respectively.

As expected from the North Korean regime, which maintains a political system where Kim Il-sung's charisma has been inherited, the various events commemorating Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il naturally continued until April 15, the birthday of Kim Il-sung, who holds the position of 'Suryong' (leader). A succession of performances praising Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il took place, along with various commendations, military promotions, and the production of commemorative coins and stamps.

However, by 2022, as the distinct color of the Kim Jong-un era has solidified, landscapes different from the past are also being observed. The most striking change is the disappearance of the Kimilsungia and Kimilsungia flowers. With the Kimilsungia and Kimilsungia festivals ceasing after 2019, the symbols associated with Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il are being scaled back, while the symbolization of the state is being strengthened, and patriotism and the "Our Country First" ideology are being emphasized.

In line with the tastes of Kim Jong-un, a leader of the MZ generation, roses are filling the void. The development and distribution of rose varieties are also linked to the global trends consistently emphasized throughout Kim Jong-un's regime. In addition, the announcement of ten national symbols (national name, emblem, flag, anthem, language, flower, tree, bird, dog, liquor) is proceeding alongside the promotion of patriotism and governance through institutionalized bodies.

Another example is the demolition of House No. 5, a revolutionary historical site previously used as Kim Il-sung's office, and the construction of the multi-story residential complex in the ordinary riverfront area of "Kyongru-dong." While cases of utilizing idle military spaces to build riding clubs and converting airfield sites into large-scale greenhouse farms have continued during Kim Jong-un's rule, the demolition of a Kim Il-sung revolutionary historical site to build housing in its place appears to hold symbolic significance. By constructing a large apartment complex on the site of Kim Il-sung's revolutionary historical building, Kim Jong-un, who has attained the status of a living Suryong, has opened up the possibility for the development of numerous Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-un revolutionary sites across North Korea as needed.

It is also true that the on-site guidance by the preceding leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, and by Kim Jong-un who has ascended to the Suryong's position, has been endless, and places or objects touched by their hands have been preserved, leading to inefficient resource allocation. This perception by the North Korean authorities is also revealed through past media trends regarding the symbolization of the Suryong. In a letter sent to participants of the 2nd National Primary Propaganda Workers' Congress in 2019, Kim Jong-un warned against "mystifying the Suryong's revolutionary activities and image, as it obscures the truth." Furthermore, an article in the Rodong Sinmun on May 20, 2020, titled "The Secret of the Leaping Forward Method," pointed out regarding Kim Il-sung's struggles during the anti-Japanese armed struggle period that "it is impossible for a person to disappear and reappear, and to traverse the land."

While the development potential of the Suryong's revolutionary sites is not expected to lead to a fundamental change in the ruling system rooted in Kim Il-sung's charisma in the short term, subtle changes are emerging. Starting with the restoration of the 7th Party Congress in May 2016, major policies within North Korea have increasingly been decided at institutionalized Party Congresses and Plenary Meetings. Governance through on-site guidance, which became entrenched during the Kim Jong-il era, was concentrated in the early years of Kim Jong-un's rule due to path dependency, but the center of gravity is now shifting towards governance through institutionalized bodies.

Since the beginning of his rule until mid-2017, Kim Jong-un's on-site guidance at factories and enterprises (excluding completion sites) has no longer been observed. This phenomenon is also related to the "Enterprise Law" (enacted Nov. 11, 2010; revised Nov. 5, 2013, May 21, 2015, Nov. 4, 2020), which codifies management based on independent management strategies and enterprise strategies. The visit of a state leader to a management site and their subsequent remarks inevitably influence the overall direction or vision of the enterprise, as well as the execution goals and phased tasks of subordinate units, leading to an infringement on the enterprise's management rights. In short, governance through institutionalized bodies and systems can be considered a keyword representing the Kim Jong-un era. The 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea in 2021 signaled the restoration of Party Congresses, held every five years following the 7th Party Congress in 2016, and the 2022 New Year's address was also replaced by a Party Plenary Meeting, an institutionalized governing body.

Furthermore, at the 2021 Party Congress, the overall economic direction (vision) was set as "building the foundation for revitalizing the entire people's economy and improving people's livelihoods by concentrating the core strength of economic development." Subsequently, at the 3rd Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Party in June 2021, the "Five Years of Breakthrough Development and Five Years of Great Transformation" was formalized, and a medium- to long-term plan for building a socialist powerful nation in approximately 15 years was publicly announced, expressing the aspiration to construct a socialist powerful nation in about 15 years through leaps every five years.

In essence, the actions of Kim Jong-un, a leader of the MZ generation, are oriented towards enhancing regime durability and are transitioning towards governance through institutionalized bodies. The headlines of articles from North Korean state media serve as evidence of this. In the early years of Kim Jong-il and Kim Jong-un's rule, all actions centered around the Suryong; however, now that the regime has entered a period of stability, the convening or closing of events by institutionalized bodies takes precedence over the participation of the living Suryong, Kim Jong-un. For instance, during Kim Jong-il's rule, the focus of news reports would have been on "Comrade Kim Jong-il attended the Party Congress or Plenary Meeting." In contrast, in the current mid-term of Kim Jong-un's rule, headlines are written prioritizing the opening/closing of the Party Congress or Plenary Meeting over whether Kim Jong-un participated.

In addition, the standardization and normalization resulting from institutionalized governing bodies and legislation, resource mobilization, and trends related to industrial art and trademarks can be considered indicators of change in North Korea.

The changes in North Korea, led by Kim Jong-un, a leader of the MZ generation sensitive to new things and progressive, are an ongoing process as of December 2022. ■

※ This commentary is the Korean translation of "A Decade Under the Millennial Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un."

■ Na Jeong-won_After beginning her study of North Korea in 2004, she researched changes in North Korea through North Korean literature, video, and photographic materials, earning her Ph.D. in 2018. She analyzes the North Korean regime from a management perspective and through the lens of possession. Her major research includes "Current Research Trends in Management Studies in North Korea during the Kim Jung Un's Era," "A Study on Entrepreneurship and Innovation Policy of North Korean Kim Jong-un," and "Future Possession Potential According to the Dialectical Discussion of Possession." She is currently working at SPN Seoul-Pyongyang News.