Kim Jong-un projects leadership through humble speech

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, gestures as he welcomes President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook to the Paekhwawon Guest House, in Pyongyang, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps

By Kwak Yeon-soo

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un once again projected a candid and humble image by publicly acknowledging his country's shortcomings unlike his father Kim Jong-il, who spent his lifetime promoting the image of a “socialist paradise.”

At the Paekhwawon Guesthouse where President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook are staying during their three-day trip, the North Korean leader apologized to the President for having him stay at “a shabby place compared to hotels in developed countries.”

In late April, Kim unexpectedly cried over his country's poor infrastructure and advised President Moon to fly to North Korea in September because the nation's roads were in bad shape.

According to analysts, Kim appears deferential partly because the young leader wants to project himself as a frank and open-minded leader unlike his stoic father. His attempt to break through isolation and boost economic ties is also portrayed in his speeches, they say.

“Kim Jong-un's era is different from his late father's,” Kim Hyung-deok, president of the Korea Peace and Prosperity Center, told The Korea Times. “Kim Jong-il was born when North Korea was wealthier than South Korea and has lived through the glory of the nation. But Kim Jong-un, the 35-year-old leader, experienced capitalism while living in Switzerland and has witnessed the decline of the nation.”

Kim also noted that Kim Jong-un is trying to shift his key policy from nuclear development to economic reform. “Capitalism is becoming an ever-greater force in North Korea and Kim is well aware of this change. Thus, he wants to restore the country's blighted economy by strengthening ties and bringing in investment from South Korea,” he said.

Another analyst saw Kim Jong-un's humble speech as moving away from the old bureaucracy. “It's highly unusual for a leader to be outspoken and talk of the nation's economic defects,” said an expert on the North Korean economy, who declined to be named. “Kim Jong-un's humble speech runs counter to the concept of Kim Jong-il, who tried to propagate himself as a God-like figure.”

The expert mentioned that North Koreans are positive about their leader's straightforward personality as shown in his New Year's speech. “In his 2017 New Year's speech, Kim Jong-un stated that there were many shortcomings despite his attempts to improve the lives of the North Korean people. This statement reflects Kim's humility,” she said.