Kim Jong-un: Difference between revisions

On October 10, 2010, alongside his father, Jong-un attended the ruling Workers' Party's 65th anniversary celebration. This was seen as fully confirming his position as the next leader of the Workers' Party. Unprecedented international press access was granted to the event, further indicating the importance of Jong-un's presence. In January 2011, the regime began purging around 200 protégés of both Jong-un's uncle-in-law [[Jang Sung-taek]] and O kuk-ryol, the vice chairman of the National Defense Commission of North Korea, by either detention or execution to further prevent either man from rivaling Jong-un. In the following months, Jong-un was given more and more prominence as he accompanied Jong-il during several "guidance tours" and received gifts from foreign delegations and personages, an honour traditionally awarded only to the living supreme leader. He was also listed second only to Jong-il himself in the funeral committee for [[Jo Myong-rok]].

On December 17, 2011, [[Kim Jong-il]] died of a heart attack at age 70. Despite the elder Kim's plans, it wasn't immediately clear after his death whether Jong-un would in fact take full power, and what his exact role in a new government would be. Some analysts had predicted that when Jong-il died, [[Jang Sung-taek]] would act as regent, as Jong-un is too inexperienced to immediately lead the country. On December 25, 2011, North Korean television showed Sung-taek in the uniform of a general in a sign of his growing sway after Jong-il's death. A Seoul official familiar with North Korea affairs said it was the first time Sung-taek has been shown on state television in a military uniform. His appearance suggests that Sung-taek has secured a key role in the North's powerful military, which has pledged its allegiance to Jong-un.