TEHRAN, July 18 -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s strident rebukes of officials during recent trips to industrial sites were aimed at rallying support at home for his economic drive and convincing outsiders about his willingness to denuclearize.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s strident rebukes of officials during recent trips to industrial sites were aimed at rallying support at home for his economic drive and convincing outsiders about his willingness to denuclearize.
After racing toward his goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the United States, Kim in April shifted his focus to the economy. In June, Kim held an unprecedented summit with President Donald Trump in Singapore, where he lauded the city-state’s economic progress and “world-class” amenities.
This month, the young leader has toured industrial facilities and special economic zones near North Korea’s border with China, often lambasting officials over delayed construction projects or lackluster modernization of production lines, according to state media.
Kim has openly slammed executives on previous economic field trips, unlike his reclusive father. The latest criticisms appear to attempt to spur economic development nationwide - and shift blame to bureaucrats where progress has lagged, experts say.
“Now that economic development is made a main party line, he needs to show results but could have realized things were not so beautiful on the ground,” said Koh Yu-hwan, a professor at Dongguk University in Seoul.
“To the people inside, he’s trying to say it’s not the fault of himself or them but that of the party executives, while encouraging ordinary citizens to work hard.”
With nuclear talks with Washington under way, Kim may also want to dispel suspicion about denuclearization by highlighting his zeal for economic development.
Kim made a broad commitment at the Singapore summit to “work toward denuclearization,” but fell short of details on how or when he would dismantle the nuclear programs.
“While trying to win the people’s heart, Kim would want to show that he’s making an all-out effort on the economy and he really means it, and defuse suspicions about denuclearization,” said Lee Woo-young, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.
Source:Reuters
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