N. Korean leader reelected as member of Assembly

SEOUL, March 9 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-il was reelected to a
lawmaker's post, the country's state-run media said Monday, in a closely
monitored parliamentary vote that may provide a clue as to who will be Kim's
successor.
"All the voters of Constituency No. 333 renewed their unshakable determination to
devotedly safeguard Kim Jong-il," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a
statement carried in English.
In the 333rd military electorate in Pyongyang where Kim ran for a parliamentary
seat, "100 percent" of voters gave approval in Sunday's election, according to
the KCNA.
Speculation has mounted over a power succession in North Korea since Kim, 67,
reportedly suffered a stroke last summer. The North's media have recently
emphasized the themes of "bloodline" and "inheritance" in reporting and
commentaries, a possible indication that the country may be preparing for another
hereditary transfer of power.
The parliamentary elections, originally expected to be held before last
September, were bypassed amid rumors of Kim's poor health. When the North earlier
this year rescheduled the elections, many outsiders took it as a sign that the
leader has made a full recovery.
The Supreme People's Assembly is a rubber stamp parliament, but the election has
drawn keen outside attention because of the possibility that it may provide a
clue to the country's next leader.
There have been widespread rumors that the leader's third and youngest son,
Jong-un, 26, was running for a seat in the Assembly, a move that may indicate he
is in line to succeed his father.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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