(News Focus) N. Korea's Kim brings in loyal cadres to center of power to further reinforce his rule

▲ This image from the Korean Central Television shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as it reported on his reelection as president of the state affairs commission at the first session of the 15th Supreme People's Assembly held on March 22, 2026. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

▲ This image from the Korean Central News Agency shows the first session of the 15th Supreme People's Assembly held on March 22, 2026, published the following day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

(News Focus) NK leader-personnel reshuffle

(News Focus) N. Korea's Kim brings in loyal cadres to center of power to further reinforce his rule

By Park Boram

SEOUL, March 23 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has announced a large-scale personnel reshuffle at a key parliamentary meeting, installing new cadres loyal to leader Kim Jong-un at the center of power and replacing old-generation figures to reinforce his monolithic leadership nearly 15 years into his rule, experts said Monday.

Having initially consolidated his rule based on his lineage from state founder and grandfather Kim Il-sung and late former leader Kim Jong-il, the incumbent leader now appears to be seeking to establish his regime independently from his ancestors to cement his standalone power, experts said.

In a major personnel reshuffle, Jo Yong-won, a former party secretary for organizational affairs, was elected as chairman of the standing committee of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) on the first day of the first session of the 15th SPA held Sunday.

Jo's ascent to what is considered North Korea's No. 2 position marks the departure of his predecessor, Choe Ryong-hae, who had long served in key leadership roles since the era of Kim Jong-il as the son of an elite anti-Japanese independent fighter.

The SPA elected Jo to serve simultaneously as SPA chairman and first vice president of the state affairs commission, cementing him as the most powerful figure after leader Kim.

The all-powerful state affairs commission also saw the addition of new members, including former Premier Kim Tok-hun and chief prosecutor Kim Chol-won, while Kim's sister Yo-jong and high-profile old-generation figures such as Kim Yong-chol, Ri Son-gwon and Pak Jong-chon were removed from the commission.

In their place, key party cadres currently active in the political scene made inroads, including Ri Hi-young, Kim Jae-ryong, Jong Kyong-thaek and Ju Chang-il.

The Sunday session also reelected Kim to the country's top leadership post as president of the state affairs commission, marking his third consecutive term since the commission was created in 2016 as the country's top policy guidance body.

Experts said the latest reshuffle marked a major generation change in North Korea's leadership, aimed at further buttressing Kim's rule.

"North Korea omitted any mention of his lineage from his ancestors and their ideologies, while mobilizing superlative expressions for Kim Jong-un that transcend those used for his predecessors," said Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification.

Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies, said the front-line deployment of Jo Jong-won and others loyal to Kim symbolizes both a generational change and a reinforcement of his personal leadership

"They are likely to faithfully carry out their roles as yes-men, immediately executing the ruling party's intentions," Lim said.

The Korean Central News Agency praised Kim as "the most prominent thinker-theoretician of the present world" and "the great strategist of state building and the great master of creation and change," as it reported on Kim's reelection.

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