After the closing of the 8th National Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), a military parade was held on the evening of Jan. 14, 2021, followed by another meeting, the fourth session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK, at which cabinet officials in charge of economic affairs were replaced in large numbers.
According to Yonhap News Agency on Jan. 18, the meeting was held for one day in the absence of Kim Jong Un and Cho Yong Won, secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
The report said that six of the eight vice premiers were replaced at the meeting and Park Jung Gun, Chun Hyun Chol, Kim Sung Ryong, Lee Sung Hak, Park Hoon and Joo Cheol Kyu were elected as the new vice premiers. Park Jung-geun was appointed as the chairman of the National Planning Commission.
Ma Jong-seon was appointed as Minister of Chemical Industry, Kim Yu-il was appointed as Minister of Electricity Industry, Kim Chul-sook was appointed as Minister of Extractive Industry, Jang Kyung-il was appointed as Minister of Light Industry, Vice Prime Minister Joo Chul-gyu was appointed as Minister of Agriculture, Jang Chun-seong was appointed as Minister of Railways, Kim Loyal was appointed as Minister of Resource Development, Yoon Jung-ho was appointed as Minister of Foreign Economic Affairs, Ko Jung-bum was appointed as Minister of Finance, Joo Yong-il was appointed as Minister of Telecommunications, Seo Jong-jin was appointed as Minister of Construction Minister of Construction and Materials Industry, Kim Kim Tee as Secretary General of the Cabinet, Jin Jin Song as Minister of Labor, Lim Kyung Jae as Minister of Urban Management, Park Hyuk Chul as Minister of Commerce, Lee Hyuk Kwon as Minister of State Construction Supervision, Lee Guk Chul as President of Kim Il Sung University and Minister of Higher Education on the Board of Education, Choi Kyung Chul as Minister of health, Seung Jung Gyu as Minister of Culture, Choi Sung Hak as He was appointed as the head of the Central Bank, Lee Chol-san as the head of the Central Bureau of Statistics, and U Sang-chul as the head of the Central Prosecutor’s Office.
The massive change of leadership is intended to hold the country accountable for poor economic development, according to analysis. Prime Minister Kim Deok-sun pointed out in the cabinet’s work report that there were serious shortcomings in the cabinet’s work during the implementation of the five-year plan for national economic development, and that the target for electricity production was not met and the main economic indicators in almost all areas of the people’s economy failed to meet the target. In this regard, Kim Deok-sun also proposed a plan for economic support in various fields.
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