By Kim Young-jin
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is borrowing one of his late father’s methods in an apparent bid to curry military support: handing out gifts.
The North’s Korean Central TV Broadcasting Station aired images of the leader presenting binoculars and rifles to servicemen at a naval unit, as late ruler Kim Jong-il did on military inspections before his death late last year.
It was seen as the latest propaganda attempt by the North to consolidate Jong-un’s power among the North’s powerful military as he cements power as well as a symbolic move ahead of his father’s birthday next week.
The younger Kim, thought to be in his late twenties, has made frequent visits to military sites since January, signaling that his regime has prioritized garnering support from the 1.2-million-strong armed forces.
Analysts are closely watching Kim’s activities as some say his power may not be completely secure until he takes additional titles. Despite appearances of stability in the aftermath of his father’s fatal heart attack in December, some still wonder if factionalism could arise among the ruling elite.
The concerns linger because while Kim Jong-il had decades to consolidate power, his son is thought to have been groomed for only around three years.
Experts also tied the move to celebrations for the late rulers’ birthday, which falls next Thursday and as one of the biggest holidays in the North, is expected to be feted across the nation.
The next few months are considered to be crucial for Jong-un as his country launches celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il-sung, by which time the regime has promised to make the North a “strong and prosperous” state.