Kim Jong Un's Leadership Continues After Being Re-elected as President
Kim Jong Un has been re-elected as President of State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Kim Jong Un will continue his leadership.
According to AFP on Monday (23/3/2026), critics argue that elections in North Korea are predetermined and designed to give the country’s leadership a veneer of democratic legitimacy.
“The Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK has re-elected Comrade Kim Jong Un as President of State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea at the First Session, the first state affairs activity of the 15th term, on 22 March,” reported KCNA.
The report stated that the decision to re-elect Kim to the “highest office” reflects the “unanimous will and desire of all the Korean people.”
Leading Since 2011
Kim is the third-generation ruler of the nuclear-armed state founded by his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, in 1948. He has ruled the country since his father’s death in 2011.
This election is a “highly scripted event with a predetermined outcome,” said Lee Ho-ryung from the Korea Defense Analysis Institute.
“Throughout the third-generation rule, North Korea has held such events to show a procedure in an effort to achieve political legitimacy,” he said.
“But no one thinks there will be a different outcome from that.”
Photos released by KCNA show Kim wearing a Western-style formal suit and sitting in the centre of the stage, flanked by senior officials in front of two giant statues of his father, Kim Jong Il, and grandfather.
Election Process
Before the event, 687 deputies were elected to the Supreme People’s Assembly, with North Korean citizens aged over 17 given the choice to approve or reject the sole candidate put forward by the ruling party.
The new parliament members were approved with 99.93% support and 0.07% opposition, as previously reported by KCNA, with a participation rate of 99.99%.
The Pyongyang assembly hall was “filled with extraordinary political awareness and revolutionary enthusiasm” by the newly elected members, the report said.
Analysts say the current parliamentary session may also discuss possible constitutional amendments that could include officially codifying inter-Korean relations as those between “two hostile states.”
The language Kim uses to describe his stance towards South Korea in his speech to parliament will be an “indicator” of his inter-Korean plans, Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea National Unification Institute, told AFP.
“To what extent terms like ‘national unification’ or ‘Korean unity’ are omitted and replaced by aggressive expressions including ‘territorial control’ can serve as an indicator of his ideological framework,” he said.
The key point lies in how far he will “elaborate on territorial issues, territorial waters, and airspace” in dealing with Seoul, he added. This meeting follows the ruling party’s five-year congress last month.
Congratulations from Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Kim Jong Un. Putin expressed hopes for stronger bilateral relations.
“Dear Comrade Kim Jong Un, please accept my sincere congratulations on your re-election as Chairman of State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” Putin said in a message posted on the Kremlin’s Telegram channel.
“Russia highly values your personal contribution to strengthening the friendly and allied relations between our countries. We will certainly continue our close cooperation to further develop the comprehensive strategic partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang. This undoubtedly serves the fundamental interests of both our countries,” he added.
Russia and North Korea have deepened ties in recent years, signing a mutual defence pact in 2024. North Korea has also sent troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine.