Preparing for N. Korea under Kim Jong Un

North Korea officially declared Thursday the beginning of the Kim Jong Un era through the Rodong Sinmun, the official daily of the ruling Workers` Party, six days after the death of leader Kim Jong Il. Though Kim Jong Un has never assumed the posts of party secretary and chairman of the powerful National Defense Commission reserved for the supreme leader, he has succeeded the throne as a descendant of the Stalinist country`s founder Kim Il Sung.

In a front-page editorial in the daily Thursday, North Korea said, "Let`s unite around Kim Jong Un and accept his leadership with loyalty." Given that the North has announced its major government issues via the daily, the editorial is tantamount to the official announcement of the inauguration of the Kim Jong Un administration. An official newspaper of Pyongyang`s Cabinet also said, “At the forefront of the revolution, we have Kim Jong Un as the great successor of the achievement of the juche (self-reliance) revolution and an excellent leader of the people."

In 1994, Kim Jong Il also took power as quick as a flash after the death of his father Kim Il Sung. Two days after Kim Il Sung`s death, Kim Jong Il was called "leader" and members of the Central Committee plenary meeting and Supreme People`s Assembly of the Workers` Party swore loyalty to him. Kim Jong Un, who had little time to groom as successor, is likely to hurriedly hold an inauguration ceremony to show his power to the North Korean people and the world. North Koreans will be forced to be loyal to Kim Jong Un, who is being promoted as a heaven-sent great leader.

The Rodong Sinmun said North Korea will pursue "songun," or a military-first policy, and strengthen defense capabilities to follow the instructions of the late leader Kim Jong Il. This means Kim Jong Un will continue the policies of his grandfather and father that have ruined the country. The daily never mentioned that the new successor will pursue policies to reform and open the economy and help the livelihood of the North Korean people, who are starving.

In a meeting with the heads of the ruling and opposition parties, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said, "There is ample room for flexible policies (toward North Korea) if North Korean society is stabilized." Kim Jong Il`s death can be an opportunity to improve inter-Korean relations, but forecasting the future is tough. China and the U.S. have effectively approved Kim Jong Un taking power. If South Korea wants to prevent him from threatening peace on the Korean Peninsula, it will have no choice but to accept him as its counterpart for dialogue regardless of his status.

The South Korean government made a policy mistake when Kim Il Sung died 1994 by believing that the North would collapse. In the same vein, Seoul should not be too optimistic, either. South Korea needs long-term preparation to respond to all scenarios, including a sudden contingency.