Kim Jong-il ranks second in 2008 N. Korean media appearance

SEOUL, March 5 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-il was only No. 2 in the
communist country in terms of media appearance during 2008, topped by the
country's ceremonial head Kim Yong-nam, data showed Thursday.

Kim Yong-nam, the president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly,
appeared 322 times in the country's main newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun, last year,
compared to 202 times for Kim Jong-il, according to the count by Seoul's Ministry
of Unification.
As the titular head of the nation, he represents North Korea on all state visits
and summits and receives visiting heads of state, while Kim Jong-il is usually
reported on for his public inspections, the ministry explained.
Choe Thae-bok and Kim Jung-rin, the Workers' Party secretaries, came third and
fourth with 106 and 103 appearances respectively.
Yang Hyong-sop, vice president of the Supreme People's Assembly Presidium, was
fifth with 87 appearances, followed by Foreign Minister Pak Ui-chun with 86.
Several new faces appeared in the ranking compared to 2007, the ministry said.
Among them were Kim Thae-jong, vice department director of the Workers' Party
Central Committee, who came in 9th with 62 appearances, Hyon Chol-hae, general of
the Korean People's Army, (11th, 52), and Jon Yong-jin, vice chairman of the
Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries (12th, 51).
hkim@yna.co.kr
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