North Korea Firms Up Leadership as Launch Nears
Source: NYT
North Korea completed the hurried transition to its young new leader, Kim Jong-un, on Wednesday, as a confrontation with the United States loomed over the North's intent to launch a long-range missile.
The ruling Workers' Party declared Mr. Kim to be "supreme leader" and awarded him the title of first secretary during a party conference, the country's first major political gathering in one-and-a-half years. The inevitable elevation of Mr. Kim later this week to the top defense commission post will complete his rise to the pinnacle of party, military and state leadership, at a speed that analysts in the region said reflected the insecurity of the young leader's status as much as it did the secretive leadership's need to have a solid power center in place immediately.
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