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| ▲ This image, captured from footage of North Korea's state-run Korean Central Television on Sept. 9, 2022, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L) speaking at the seventh session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly the previous day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap) |
N Korea-parliamentary meeting
N. Korea's state media keeps mum on key parliamentary meeting
SEOUL, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's state media on Wednesday remained silent about whether it opened a key parliamentary meeting earlier this week amid the possibility that the rubber-stamp parliament's session could run for at least two days.
North Korea earlier announced a plan to convene the ninth session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) on Tuesday to discuss organizational matters and the issue of reviewing and adopting various laws.
As of 8:15 a.m., the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and other state-run media outlets had not yet carried any report on the opening of the SPA meeting. The KCNA usually runs reports of the outcome of major political events early the following morning.
The meeting could last for at least two days, given that North Korea has held two-day sessions of the SPA since September 2021.
The SPA is the highest organ of state power under the North's constitution, but it actually only rubber-stamps decisions by the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).
One of the major focal points for the SPA meeting would be whether North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will use the gathering to deliver a public speech toward the outside world following his latest summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
North Korea could also decide to replace Premier Kim Tok-hun as the North's leader has strongly berated the premier and the Cabinet over their "irresponsible" attitude in failing to prevent flood damage and "spoiling" the country's economic plans.
Still, Premier Kim has been carrying out his official duty, including an inspection of the agricultural sector in a provincial area, raising the possibility that he may remain in office.
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