[7] The North Korean government would "successfully administer" the church, which was built to hold 500 people.
[7] On 6 January 2007, at a mass rally in Pyongyang which included Kim Jong-il, he gave a speech praising the North Korean government for building nuclear weapons.
[8] He also addressed the country's "problem of food scarcity" in 2007, saying, "The Cabinet will concentrate state efforts on agriculture this year, too, considering it a mainstay, to thoroughly implement the WPK's policy of agriculture revolution and make a signal advance in the efforts to settle the people's food problem.
"[9] He served as WPK South Hamgyong provincial secretary from 2010, where he led an effort to develop local industry which was celebrated as "flames of Hamnam".
[10] Likely as a result of this, he was elevated to Politburo alternate member and director of the Party Finance and Accounting Department in April 2012, and chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly Budget Committee in September of the same year.