Public Appearance

[Anchor Lead]

North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un made his first public appearance since coming back from the Hanoi Summit. He showed up to vote at the election of the Supreme People's Assembly, the highest legislative body in North Korea, and stressed the importance of science and economy.

[Pkg]

Kim Jong-un showed up at Kim Chaek University of Technology in Pyongyang. The North Korean leader was there to cast his vote at the 14th election of the People's Supreme Assembly, the highest legislative body in the regime. It's his first public appearance since returning from the Hanoi Summit.

[Soundbite] (Korean Central TV (N. Korea)) : "Kim Jong-un, the highest leader of our party, nation and military, has arrived at the polling site at Kim Chaek University of Technology."

Kim Chaek University of Technology is the most prestigious educational institution for engineering in North Korea, with 16 science and technology departments that includes mining, electronic and electric engineering. Kim told the university president, one of the legislature candidates, to help support developing the regime's science education and economic development. Unlike five years ago when he stressed the importance of nuclear capability, he appears to have changed his policy direction to building a robust socialist economy.

[Soundbite] Cho Han-bum(Senior Research Fellow, Korea Institute for National Unification) : "There were concerns over North Korea's change in policy since the failed summit with Washington in Hanoi. But it appears that Kim Jong-un has given up on the parallel development of economy and nuclear arsenals and instead focuses on economic growth."

The Kim Jong-un regime was solidified when more than half the legislators were replaced in 2014. It remains to be seen how his policy vision for economic growth would affect the composition of the legislative body.