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Kim Jong Il stays in power
03/09/2003 09:12 - (SA)
Seoul, South Korea - Kim Jong Il, the communist bloc's first leader to inherit power from his father, was re-elected as North Korea's top man on Wednesday, as his isolated regime struggled to win United States guarantees for its security in exchange for its nuclear weapons programme.
Pyongyang's Supreme People's Assembly "broke into stormy cheers of 'hurrah' overwhelmed with unbounded emotion, jubilation and ardent reverence," as its deputies elected Kim as chairman of the country's highest governing body, National Defence Commission, North Korean news media reported.
The National Defence Commission oversees North Korea's million-strong People's Army, the world's fifth largest military and the backbone of Kim's totalitarian rule.
Kim, 61, has held that post since 1993, a year before his father, late President Kim Il Sung, died of heart failure in 1994. Five years later, he was re-elected to the post after the parliament made it the highest in government hierarchy.
Kim's widely expected re-election came amid tension over North Korea's suspected development of nuclear weapons.
In talks held in Beijing last week, the United States urged North Korea to abandon its nuclear programme before it can discuss improving ties and helping it rebuild its moribund economy. The North has depended on outside aid and sales of missiles and other illicit arms to sustain its regime.
North Korea demanded that the United States first sign a non-aggression treaty and provide economic aid so that it can feel safe enough to dismantle its nuclear programme.
Foil their moves
Kim's election "marks a great event strikingly demonstrating the firm will and faith of the servicemen and the people of the DPRK to resolutely meet all challenges of the imperialists and reactionaries and foil their moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK," said North Korea's state-run news agency KCNA.
DPRK is an acronym for Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.
Following last week's talks, North Korea has threatened to boycott the six-nation talks, which also involve China, Russia, South Korea and Japan. It also threatened to increase its "nuclear deterrent force."
On Tuesday, Pyongyang reiterated the threats but said it was willing to resolve the nuclear dispute "through dialogue".
United States officials are confident that more talks will be held, and other participants have said the six parties tentatively agreed to meet again around October.
Kim, who also holds titles of general secretary of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, rules the impoverished country of 22 million people with a personality cult inherited from his late father. North Koreans refer to him as "Our Father", "Dear Leader", "Great Leader" or "The General".
"It is the greatest honour and happiness of the servicemen and the people of the DPRK and a great auspicious event of the country and the nation to have re-elected Kim Jong Il to the highest post of the state," KCNA said.
Axis of evil
North Korea's economy was left devastated with the falling apart of the old Soviet bloc, which had sustained the North Korean regime with barter trade and arms deals.
With US President George W Bush labelling his regime part of an "axis of evil" along with Iraq and Iran, Kim believes that the survival of his regime depends on how profitably he plays his nuclear card, experts say.
- AP
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