Reign of terror may have made Pyongyang’s second man kneel down before Kim Jong Un

Hwang Pyong So, chief of the General Political Bureau who is known as the “No. 2 man” in North Korea was seen in the national TV on Saturday while he was politely kneeling down before and having a conversation with First Secretary Kim Jong Un of the Workers` Party of Korea.

From Saturday, North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency began to air a documentary film where Kim Jong Un inspected its military camps and was having a conversation sitting on a leader’s platform with Hwang at the 4th artillery contest held on Dec. 2015. In spite of his chair next to Kim Jong Un, Hwang was keeling down to his leader’s eye level. He was talking to Kim with his left hand covering his mouth. At the 7th military education day for workers held in Nov. 2015, Hwang made a military salute and sat down on his chair only after Kim waved him down to sit multiple times.

It is noted that those scenes show the reign of terror by Kim Jong Un who has repeatedly made executions and purges of power elites in the North. The scenes appeared to have purposely been edited to imbue North Koreans with Kim’s authority who has tried to foster internal solidarity after the 4th nuclear test.

In June 2015, Hwang was seen as he was startled to have been one step ahead of Kim Jong Un while attending him. In Dec. 2014, he was witnessed while bursting into laughter with his hand covering his face in red.

zeitung@donga.com