Private College Student Loan

Heir apparent Kim Jong un receives powerful political posts

Summary: 한겨레 Experts say Kim has simultaneously received military and political positions as a part of a power succession By Park Jung eon Senior staff writer North Korean leader Kim Jong il s heir apparent and youngest son Kim Jong un was given powerful political posts during the Workers Party of Korea WPK meeting of party representatives Tuesday after he debuted as a four star general the day prior Kim Jong un was named vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the WPK and a WPK Central Committee member North Korea s state run Korean Central News Agency KCNA said in reports monitored in Seoul North Korea seemed to have created the post of vice chairman in the WPK Central Military Commission as it was reportedly not included in the previous official organization Kim Jong un has seemingly become the true second in command of the military of North Korea and secured the foundation to gain the control of military As a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission Kim Jong un will strengthen his grip on the military said Yang Moo jin an expert at the University of North Korean Studies to the Yonhap News Agency The North Korean military operates 1 2 million troops and forms the basis of the Kim dynasty s power The reports said Ri Yong ho chief of the general staff of the Korean People s Army has been elected as the other vice chairman of the commission that is headed by Kim Jong il Ri has emerged suddenly as a formidable power in the military as he was also elected a standing committee member of the WPK Political Bureau News Briefing Inter Korean military talks to be held Thursday North Korea and South Korea will hold working level military talks on Thursday for the first time in nearly two years South Korea s Ministry of Defense said Wednesday The ministry reported that Pyongyang who proposed the meetings agreed to hold the talks at the truce village of Panmunjom on the date proposed by Seoul Lee administration s Pro working class budget has social welfare cuts Although the Lee Myung bak administration has labeled its 2011 budget working class friendly the 309 6 trillion Won $269 4 billion proposal increases the social welfare budget by only 6 2 percent much lower than the average rate over the past five years of 9 5 percent The budget also slashes the number of basic livelihood security recipients receiving benefits the core beneficiaries of social welfare policy In light of those facts experts have criticized the budget as pro working class friendly only in name The Lee administration plans to spend 5 8 trillion Won on the controversial Four Major Rivers Restoration Project a 15 6 percent increase from this year The budget proposal will be submitted to the National Assembly this Friday Student suicide on the rise More than 200 South Korean schoolchildren committed suicide last year giving in to pressure from family problems depression and grades Ministry of Education Science and Technology MEST data showed Wednesday According to a MEST report submitted to ruling Grand National Party GNP Lawmaker Hwang Woo yea 202 students in elementary through high school took their own lives marking a 47 percent increase from 2008 Seven years of saving gives Koreans debt free status Local credit rating agency NICE Investors Service reported Tuesday that a number of households in South Korea are mired in debt and it takes the average household about seven years to pay off their loans The amount of household debt is 7 2 times larger than household savings after basic living expenses and taxes are deducted which means households have to save money for at least seven years to clear their debts the agency said At the end of June the nation s household debt stood at 754 trillion Won $656 9 billion which is equivalent to 15 million Won of debt per person Please direct questions or comments to englishhani hani co kr Please direct questions or comments to englishhani hani co kr 세상을 보는 정직한 눈 한겨레신문 구독 | 한겨레21 구독 공식 SNS 계정 트위터 www twitter com hanitweet 미투데이 http me2day net hankyoreh ⓒ 한겨레신문사 무단전재 및 재배포 금지 한겨레 Experts say Kim has simultaneously received military and political positions as a part of a power succession By Park Jung eon Senior staff writer North Korean leader Kim Jong il s heir apparent and youngest son Kim Jong un was given powerful political posts during the Workers Party of Korea WPK meeting of party representatives Tuesday after he debuted as a four star general the day prior Kim Jong un was named vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the WPK and a WPK Central Committee member North Korea s state run Korean Central News Agency KCNA said in reports monitored in Seoul North Korea seemed to have created the post of vice chairman in the WPK Central Military Commission as it was reportedly not included in the previous official organization Kim Jong un has seemingly become the true second in command of the military of North Korea and secured the foundation to gain the control of military As a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission Kim Jong un will strengthen his grip on the military said Yang Moo jin an expert at the University of North Korean Studies to the Yonhap News Agency The North Korean military operates 1 2 million troops and forms the basis of the Kim dynasty s power The reports said Ri Yong ho chief of the general staff of the Korean People s Army has been elected as the other vice chairman of the commission that is headed by Kim Jong il Ri has emerged suddenly as a formidable power in the military as he was also elected a standing committee member of the WPK Political Bureau News Briefing Inter Korean military talks to be held Thursday North Korea and South Korea will hold working level military talks on Thursday for the first time in nearly two years South Korea s Ministry of Defense said Wednesday The ministry reported that Pyongyang who proposed the meetings agreed to hold the talks at the truce village of Panmunjom on the date proposed by Seoul Lee administration s Pro working class budget has social welfare cuts Although the Lee Myung bak administration has labeled its 2011 budget working class friendly the 309 6 trillion Won $269 4 billion proposal increases the social welfare budget by only 6 2 percent much lower than the average rate over the past five years of 9 5 percent The budget also slashes the number of basic livelihood security recipients receiving benefits the core beneficiaries of social welfare policy In light of those facts experts have criticized the budget as pro working class friendly only in name The Lee administration plans to spend 5 8 trillion Won on the controversial Four Major Rivers Restoration Project a 15 6 percent increase from this year The budget proposal will be submitted to the National Assembly this Friday Student suicide on the rise More than 200 South Korean schoolchildren committed suicide last year giving in to pressure from family problems depression and grades Ministry of Education Science and Technology MEST data showed Wednesday According to a MEST report submitted to ruling Grand National Party GNP Lawmaker Hwang Woo yea 202 students in elementary through high school took their own lives marking a 47 percent increase from 2008 Seven years of saving gives Koreans debt free status Local credit rating agency NICE Investors Service reported Tuesday that a number of households in South Korea are mired in debt and it takes the average household about seven years to pay off their loans The amount of household debt is 7 2 times larger than household savings after basic living expenses and taxes are deducted which means households have to save money for at least seven years to clear their debts the agency said At the end of June the nation s household debt stood at 754 trillion Won $656 9 billion which is equivalent to 15 million Won of debt per person Please direct questions or comments to englishhani hani co kr Please direct questions or comments to englishhani hani co kr 세상을 보는 정직한 눈 한겨레신문 구독 | 한겨레21 구독 공식 SNS 계정 트위터 www twitter com hanitweet 미투데이 http me2day net hankyoreh ⓒ 한겨레신문사 무단전재 및 재배포 금지

Image Dimensions: 520 x 227