North Korea Re-elects Kim Jong Un as President After 2026 Election
- North Korea’s legislature has re-elected Kim Jong Un as president of state affairs, reaffirming his position as the nation’s top leader
- Critics say the vote was a carefully staged event designed to project legitimacy rather than offer genuine choice
- Analysts warn that the session may signal tougher language towards South Korea, with possible constitutional changes on the horizon
North Korea’s legislature has re-elected Kim Jong Un as president of state affairs, according to state media reports on March 23.
His reappointment as head of the State Affairs Commission, the country’s highest policymaking body, was announced by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Source: Getty Images
“The Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK reelected Comrade Kim Jong Un as President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea at the First Session, the first state affairs activity of its 15th term, on March 22,” KCNA reported.
Critics question election legitimacy
According to CNN, analysts and critics argue that elections in North Korea are pre-determined, serving mainly to provide a façade of democratic legitimacy. Lee Ho‑ryung of the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses described the process as a “highly choreographed event with a pre-determined outcome.”
She added:
“Throughout the third-generation rule, the North has staged such events to showcase a procedure in an attempt to achieve political legitimacy. But no one thinks any different outcome would emerge from it.”
Background on Kim’s rule
Kim Jong Un is the third-generation leader of the nuclear-armed state, which was founded by his grandfather Kim Il Sung in 1948.
He assumed power in 2011 following the death of his father, Kim Jong Il. KCNA stated that the decision reflected “the unanimous will and desire of all the Korean people.”
Election results and turnout
Prior to the assembly session, 687 deputies were elected to the Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA). Citizens over 17 were given the option to approve or reject the sole candidate presented by the ruling party. KCNA reported that 99.93 percent voted in favour, with turnout reaching 99.99 percent.
The Pyongyang assembly hall was described as “full of the extraordinary political awareness and revolutionary enthusiasm” of the newly elected members.
Possible constitutional changes
Analysts suggest that the current assembly session may consider constitutional amendments. These could include formally defining inter-Korean relations as those between “two hostile states.”
Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, noted that Kim’s language in his assembly speech will be a “barometer” of his stance towards South Korea.
He explained that the extent to which terms like “national unification” are replaced with more aggressive expressions such as “territorial control” could reveal his ideological direction.
Photos released by KCNA show Kim in a formal western suit, seated at the centre of a stage flanked by senior officials, with giant statues of his father and grandfather behind him. The gathering follows a five-yearly meeting of the ruling party held last month.
Source: Getty Images
North Korea bars tourists from seaside resort
Legit.ng earlier reported that North Korea has barred foreigners from a newly opened beach resort, the country's tourism administration said this week, just days after Russia's top diplomat visited the area.
The sprawling seaside resort on its east coast, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's pet project, opened to domestic visitors earlier this month with great fanfare in state-run media.
Source: Legit.ng
