KIM JONG-UN

July 13, 2019

In a new Constitution, Kim Jong-un has been formally named head of state of North Korea and the Commander-in-Chief of the military, instead of ‘supreme leader’.

About: 

  • The new Constitution said that Mr. Kim as chairman of the State Affairs Commission (SAC), a top governing body created in 2016, was “the supreme representative of all the Korean people”, which means head of state, and “commander-in-chief”. 

  • A previous Constitution simply called Mr. Kim “supreme leader” who commands the country’s “overall military force”. 

Comment: 

  • According to political observers, the title change was also aimed at preparing for a potential peace treaty with the United States. The amendment may well be a chance to establish Kim’s status as the signer of a peace treaty when it comes, while projecting the image of the country as a normal state. 

  • North Korea has also long called for a peace deal with the United States to normalise relations and end the technical state of war that has existed since the 1950-1953 Korean War concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. 

Source : The Hindu