N. Korean leader reelected as member of Assembly, youngest son not included in list

SEOUL, March 9 (Yonhap) -- North Korea released the names of its new Assembly members including leader Kim Jong-il on Monday, but the list did not include his youngest son, who was rumored to have run in the election.

The Supreme People's Assembly is a rubber stamp parliament, but Sunday's election
drew keen outside attention because of the possibility that it would provide a
clue to the country's next leader.
But Kim Jong-un, 26, was conspicuously absent from the full list of names of the
687 members of the new Assembly, which was announced by the Korean Central TV
Broadcasting Station and other state media.
"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.
The report gave no details, but the 333rd constituency, where Kim ran, is
believed to be a military electorate in Pyongyang. Kim was elected in other
military constituencies in previous elections.
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 interpreted it as a sign that
the leader had made a full recovery.
There had been widespread rumors that Kim Jong-un was running for a seat in the
Assembly, a move that would have indicated he is in line to succeed his father.
The voter turnout was 99.98 percent, and all the candidates received 100 percent
approval, the KCNA said.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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