By Kim Young-jin
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and his heir Kim Jong-un attended a military banquet, Friday, in what analysts interpreted as a bid to build military cohesion amid tension on the peninsula.
The North’s state-run media reported on Saturday their attendance at the event, which it said was held in honor of the 19th anniversary of the inauguration of the elder Kim as commander of the country’s military.
The leader ``warmly waved back to the enthusiastically cheering participants and heartily congratulated them for devoting themselves to the defense of the country and the prosperity of the socialist country,” said the North’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Analysts here said the unusual appearance was staged to show off the internal cohesion of the North’s military, reaffirm leader Kim’s role as commander-in-chief and consolidate loyalty for the heir among officials.
Inter-Korean tension remains high in the wake of the North’s Nov. 23 shelling of Yeonpyeong Island in which four South Koreans were killed. Pyongyang says it was provoked by the South’s military drills earlier in the day, while Seoul says the drills were routine.
Many say the attack was driven by the succession underway in the North, saying the regime must burnish Jong-un’s military credentials in order to secure the power handoff. Intelligence analysts believe more provocations could be on the way in the coming year to further consolidate his power.