North Korea Leadership Watch

Research and Analysis on the DPRK Leadership

KJI Concerned About "Unrest" in Early February Over Money Crunch (revised 18 April)

Choson Ilbo, citing a story from Open Radio for NK, reports that Kim Jong Il was worried about public discontent at a meeting in early February. At a meeting on Feb. 2 in which he […]

Apr, 16

KIS Birthday (A lot of water under the bridge)

The country held a relatively subdued celebration on Thursday (15 April) for the 98th birthday of the late DPRK President, Kim Il Sung.  Unlike the dual debauchery of the February celebrations for the Lunar New […]

Apr, 16

State Security Chief U Tong Chuk Promoted

National Defense Commission Member and Senior Deputy Director of the State Security Department, U Tong Chuk, was promoted to KPA General in this year’s military promotions list in honor of Kim Il Sung’s Birthday (15 […]

Apr, 14
New Study on Office #39

New Study on Office #39

The US Army War College’s Strategic Studies Institute’s Letort Papers series (SSI and the Letort series produce fascinating and excellent scholarship) has published a comprehensive study on the activities of Office #39. In Criminal Sovereignty: […]

Apr, 14

Ri Chol to Leave as UN & CH Diplorep

Yonhap, citing a source in Berne and general diplo gossip, reports that Ri Chol is leaving his posts.  He is concurrently the DPRK’s Ambassador to Switzerland and to the UN Mission in Geneva.  While Ambassador […]

Mar, 10

New Kangwon Provincial KWP Chief Secretary

Paek Kye-ryong is the new Chief Secretary of the Kangwon KWP Provincial Committee.  His appointment was found in several North Korean media reports this month which referred to him as “chief secretary of the Kangwon […]

Feb, 17

The Ghost of the Morningstar General Haunts the New Year

Daily NK put 2009 to bed with a report on a new paper by the venerable Jeong Sung-jang.  Jeong Sung-jang predicts that 2010 will see an official announcement of Kim Jong-un’s succession after a meeting […]

Jan, 05

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