Neither North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) nor the Rodong Sinmun newspaper, a propaganda machine for general domestic readers, had published reports on the Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA) meeting as of 7 a.m. Thursday.
The SPA, North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament, was scheduled to convene its 12th session of the 14th assembly Wednesday to address a range of issues, including constitution revisions, according to a prior KCNA report.
North Korea typically publishes media reports on major events a day after they occur through the KCNA or the Rodong Sinmun. The absence of reports on the latest SPA session has fueled speculation the parliamentary meeting may not have concluded yet and is continuing into its second day.
There is also the possibility the meeting was postponed without an official announcement. The third session of the 14th assembly in April 2020 took place two days later than initially scheduled without any news reports on the delay.
The SPA meeting functions as a regular parliamentary session in other countries, addressing constitutional or legal enactments and revisions, as well as government personnel decisions.
The SPA is the highest legislative organ in North Korea, but in reality, it merely rubber-stamps decisions made by the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea.
The results of this year’s first SPA session are closely watched to see whether North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would deliver any message toward the United States, as the inauguration of President Donald Trump for his second term has raised speculation about the resumption of talks between them.
Officially taking office earlier this week, Trump referred to North Korea’s Kim as a “nuclear power,” sparking questions about whether he would acknowledge North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, signaling a potential shift in U.S. policy toward Pyongyang. Some analysts and news media interpreted the remark as Trump’s invitation to Kim for dialogue.
Yonhap
