DHAKA: Kim Jong-Un was Wednesday ‘re-elected’ as North Korea’s leader, state media said, as parliament met in a session closely watched for power shifts in the secretive regime following the shock execution of his once-powerful uncle.

The new parliament is expected to endorse personnel changes that observers say are likely to affect a number of officials linked to his ‘traitor’ uncle Jang Song-Thaek, once the North’s unofficial number two and Kim`s political mentor.

Kim was reaffirmed as First Chairman of the powerful National Defence Commission (NDC) by the new parliament, in a show of ‘absolute support and trust of all service personnel and people in him’, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, reports daily Hurriyet.

The rubber-stamp assembly, the first under the leadership of Kim who took over from his father in December 2011, gathered after North Koreans last month cast ballots in pre-determined elections where all candidates were unopposed.

Upon his re-election, ‘all the deputies and participants in the session broke into stormy cheers of ‘hurrah!’, extending the highest glory and warmest congratulations to him,’ KCNA said.

Kim also serves as first secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea and supreme commander of the Korean People’s Army, but his re-election as head of the top military body confers upon him ultimate power in the heavily militarised state.

BDST: 2011 HRS, APR 09, 2014