SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appeared to shed tears at the weekend as he thanked citizens for their sacrifices, in the most striking demonstration yet of how he is relying on his 'man of the people' persona to tackle his country's deepening crises.
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un reacts during a speech at a military parade marking 75th founding anniversary of Workers' Party of Korea , in this still image taken from video on October 12, 2020. KRT TV/ via REUTERS
Speaking at a military parade on Saturday, Kim became emotional as he paid tribute to troops for their response to national disasters and preventing a coronavirus outbreak and apologised to citizens for failing to raise living standards. Since succeeding his father in 2011, Kim has made economic progress a cornerstone of his agenda. He also met with U.S. President Donald Trump, forming an unprecedented personal relationship that included flowery letters.
"Our people have placed trust, as high as sky and as deep as sea, on me, but I have failed to always live up to it satisfactorily," Kim said, at one point appearing to choke up."I am really sorry for that." So much focus on citizens was a major departure for such events, where speeches are usually filled with more ideological themes and lauding of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, said Lee.In contrast to his remote father, Kim has taken his wife to political summits with foreign leaders, often stoops to hug children and mingles with workers at public appearances.
But despite some early moves towards embracing markets, Kim is not an out-an-out reformer and his policy prescriptions have tended to draw on the North Korea playbook honed by his father and grandfather, state founder Kim Il Sung, Silberstein said.
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