NKorean parliament grants leader new state title

SEOUL (AA) – North Korea's parliament bestowed a new state title upon leader Kim Jong-un after convening Wednesday in a follow-up to a rare congress held by the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.

Kim Jong-un was appointed chairman of the newly-established commission on state affairs, a body replacing the National Defense Commission, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported, citing Pyongyang's state TV broadcaster.

The North usually holds a plenary session of its rubber-stamp parliament in April, but this year the country was consumed by preparations for a first Workers' Party Congress in nearly four decades held in May.

While the parliamentary assembly is not considered a forum for political innovation, Seoul analysts expected it to be a significant platform for Kim, who was named the Party’s chairman during the congress, to cement his “one-man rule”.

The North was hit with strengthened United Nations sanctions following its fourth ever nuclear test in January and has since attempted numerous ballistic missile tests.

Last week, Pyongyang claimed to have successfully test-fired a mid-range missile believed to be capable of striking American troops as far away as Guam.

Tensions have been building again on the peninsula with Seoul rejecting what it sees as insincere requests for dialogue and cooperation from its northern neighbor.