North Korea’s ruling-party congress on Monday announced a new title for Kim Jong Un — party chairman. Kim Jong-un had already been head of the party, but with the title of first secretary.
Officially bringing more people into his inner circle, Kim Jong-un filled two vacancies on the powerful Presidium of the party’s central committee. Senior party official Choe Ryong Hae regained a seat that he had lost; once considered Kim Jong Un’s No. 2, he had been briefly banished to a rural collective farm last year for re-education.

Premier Pak Pong Ju was also named to the Presidium. Other members are Kim Jong Un himself; Kim Yong Nam, who as parliament leader is the country’s nominal head of state; and Hwang Pyong So, the top political officer of the Korean People’s Army. Kim Yong Nam, 88, stayed on despite speculation from North Korea-watchers that he might lose his position because of his age.
North Korean authorities plan to revise party rules to reflect “nuclear state” status