The appointment of one of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s closest aides to two key legislative positions is expected to strengthen the role of the country’s rubber-stamp parliament, Seoul’s Unification Ministry said Wednesday.

At a press briefing, the ministry also said that the decision to rename the DPRK’s constitution and establish a new police force at this week’s session of the Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA) appears to be aimed at projecting an image as a “normal” state.

The assessment comes after the 15th SPA held its first session just a week after national elections earlier this week, convening from