Kim Jong-un’s New Year Speech: What It Really Means  North
Korea's former poet laureate takes a look at the new leader's
shifting tone of voice. January 2nd, 2013  Kim Jong Un’s new
year speech has broken a silence held for 19 years, for during
this time, there was no new year speech in North Korea. Under
Kim Il-sung, the new year’s speech was that occasion in the year
when the leader provided guidance to his people. As all power is
concentrated under the leader, the new year speech provided a
framework and sets the tone for the coming year. Kim Il-sung
made the speeches himself. After his death however, Kim Jong Il
did not continue in his father’s footsteps. Instead, he chose to
convey his message through editorials published by the important
state mouthpieces such as Rodong Sinmun, the Korean People’s
Army and the Youth Vanguard.  As the new year’s speech was by
then perceived to be an inseparable limb of the leader, these
state editorials assumed absolute legitimacy as if they had been
uttered in a speech