No public diplomatic events for Kim Jong-un in 2020

A photo from the inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang, Sept. 18, 2018 shows South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un walking behind Kim Yo-jong, the North Korean leader's sister. A recent commentary by the Sejong Institute showed that the North's leader did not appear at any public diplomatic events this year. Korea Times file

Kim's public activities reduced by pandemic

By Do Je-hae

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was involved in 53 public activities this year, the lowest since he took power in 2012 following the death of his father Kim Jong-il.

According to latest commentary published by the Sejong Institute, Kim's 53 public events were confirmed through North Korean media this year as of Dec. 17. The number is considerably lower than 2013 when the North Korean leader took part in 212 such activities. Kim took part in 85 last year and 98 in 2018.

Among the 53 events this year, 15 were economy-related, and 12 involved the military. He did not take part in any diplomatic events this year. Public activities related to domestic politics, such as politburo meetings, accounted for 47 percent of the total. There were also fewer on-sites visits this year, compared to previous years.

“They focused on managing the domestic situation rather than external activities. In particular, the holding of various meetings related to the party has increased significantly,” the commentary said. “The main agenda of various meetings was discussions on quarantine projects for COVID-19, identifying and recovering damage caused by natural disasters, and economic projects.”

The report noted the health crisis associated with COVID-19 as the main reason for the contraction in public activity.