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WORLD NEWS Monday 12 august 2019

North Korea boosts Kim's rising status as global statesman

By KIM TONG-HYUNG "You could argue that the
FOSTER KLUG head-of-state business is
Associated Press meant to put Kim on the
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) same plane as Xi, Trump or
— There's no question that Putin. It certainly elevates
North Korean leader Kim his stature," said Joshua
Jong Un is in full control Pollack, a senior research
of his nation. But a recent associate with the Middle-
change to the way he's bury Institute of Internation-
being formally described al Studies at Monterey, Cal-
in the North Korean Consti- ifornia, referring to Chinese
tution may allow him even President Xi Jinping and
more diplomatic leverage Russian President Vladimir
as he steps with increasing Putin.
confidence onto the world Whatever the new chang-
stage for negotiations over es mean, no one, inside or
his powerful weapons pro- outside the country, is dis-
gram. puting Kim's status as the
Despite a flurry of unprec- ultimate decision maker,
edented summits between and despite the new con-
Kim and the world powers stitutional description, he
that surround him, the out- has already been doing
come of that crucial diplo- high-level diplomatic work
macy is very much in ques- In this Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2019, file photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean on the world stage, releas-
tion amid currently dead- leader Kim Jong Un, right, visits an airfield in the western area of North Korea to watch its weapons ing statements with Trump
locked nuclear disarma- demonstrations. and South Korean Presi-
ment talks and an outburst Associated Press dent Moon Jae-in following
of North Korean weapons those respective summits.
tests in recent weeks. his hard-won status as a a peace treaty with Trump, 2016 to replace his father's The North's new constitu-
North Korea on Friday said global statesman. for instance, or giving military-based National De- tion is the "Kim Jong Un
that its rubber-stamp par- President Donald Trump speeches at the U.N. Gen- fense Commission as the Constitution," according to
liament will hold its second on Saturday said that Kim eral Assembly, analysts say. country's top decision-mak- South Korea's Institute for
meeting of the year on wrote him a "beautiful" The changes, which were ing institution. National Security Strategy,
Aug. 29. It follows weeks three-page letter in which only made public recently The constitution makes a think tank affiliated with
of intensified North Korean he expressed desire to on the country's Naenara clear that Kim's role as Seoul's main spy agency.
weapons tests and bellig- meet once again to "start website, appear linked to chairman of the new com- It is clearly designed with
erent statements over U.S.- negotiations" after U.S.- an unusual political real- mission makes him the Kim's future role in diplo-
South Korea military exer- South Korea military exer- ity in the North: While Kim country's supreme leader. macy in mind, including
cises and the slow pace of cises end, and also apolo- Jong Un is the undisputed But it now adds that he negotiations with the U.S.
nuclear negotiations with gized for the flurry of short- leader, it is Kim's grandfa- also "represents the coun- and also potential activities
the United States. range missile tests. ther, national founder Kim try." This signals potential on the U.N. stage, the think
Kim has said he said he The North's new consti- Il Sung, who is enshrined as changes from previous de- tank said. Kim will be han-
would seek a "new way" tutional changes, which North Korea's eternal presi- cades, analysts say, when dling the important stuff in
if Washington doesn't show Kim's further consoli- dent. it was the president of the foreign affairs, while the
change its hard-line stance dation of his already formi- Kim has governed from presidium of North Korea's head of the parliament will
on sanctions relief by the dable powers, could allow his position as chairman parliament — the Supreme be mostly relegated to for-
year's end, though experts him to act more clearly as of Pyongyang's powerful People's Assembly — who malities, such as issuing cre-
doubt he'll fully abandon a diplomat on the world State Affairs Commission, acted as the ceremonial dential letters to diplomats,
diplomacy and give away stage, technically signing which was established in head of state. it added.q