North Korea replaced its prime minister during a session of its legislature, an official report said.

Pak Pong-ju was replaced by Kim Yong-il, the North's Korean Central News Agency reported late Wednesday, without giving any reasons for the change.

Pak had been promoted in 2003 from his job as minister of chemical industries in a move that was believed to indicate Pyongyang's attempt to revive its economy. His replacement, Kim, 62, had served as minister of land and marine transport since 1994, KCNA reported in an update Thursday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il attended the meeting on Wednesday of the Supreme People's Assembly, KCNA reported, but apparently did not make any comments there.

The Supreme People's Assembly usually convenes once or twice a year to approve budgets or discuss policy.

At the assembly's meeting, the delegates heard reports on the budget with officials claiming success in meeting goals for revenue and spending, although no financial figures were given.

Vice-Premier Kwak Pom-gi, who led the session instead of Pak, said the country's main economic goals this year are to "improve the standard of people's living" along with the "modernization of the national economy," KCNA reported.

The premiership is among several high-ranking positions, but the country's No 2 leader is Kim Yong-nam, the president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly.

Analysts in the South said Thursday that Pyongyang's appointment of a new premier suggests the country wants to open up more and bring in real economic reform.

"I think North Korea has reached a point where they think it is necessary to actually build an economy even if it takes changing the leader," Yoo Ho-yeol, professor of North Korean studies at Korea University, said.

Analysts focused on the transport expertise of Pak's successor as suggesting a change of focus. Some said he could be given the task of pushing ahead with train links with the wealthy South.

That would meet a long-held aim of Seoul to link up to the Trans-Siberian railway system via the North.

(China Daily via agencies April 13, 2007)