North Korea Leadership Watch

Research and Analysis on the DPRK Leadership

Internal Security and IC Changes

Two major organizational changes to North Korea’s (DPRK) intelligence community and internal security agencies have either begun or in an early phase.   The Ministry of State Security has been renamed the National Intelligence Agency […]

Jun, 05

9th Party Congress Delegates Arrive in PY

Feb, 16

Ain’t No Congress Like a Party Congress

State media reported on January 24, 2026 that the first two phases of electing delegates to the 9th Party Congress took place during January.   The first phase involved meetings of basic party organizations like […]

Jan, 24

PAD-ing Out a Purge?

According to Daily NK, the documentary video about Kim Jong Un’s (KJU; Kim Cho’ng-u’n) visit to China was deemed a dud and the requisite personnel discipline has been implemented: Officials who edited documentary footage of Kim’s […]

Oct, 06

Kim Kyong Ok’s 85th

DPRK state media and the Party History Institute have released Volume 33 of a documentary film series on deceased core elite.  This series compiles short biographies on the careers of recently deceased North Korean officials.  […]

Oct, 06

Cabinet Ministries Hold Party Committee Meetings

Workers’ Party of Korea [WPK] Committees in DPRK Cabinet Ministries [hereafter, Cabinet Ministry Party Committees] held enlarged plenary meetings last between 14 March (Tuesday) and 17 March (Friday).  Expanded plenary sessions of the Ministry of […]

Mar, 22

Day Two at the CC Plenum

The second day of the 7th plenary meeting of the 8th Workers’ Party of Korea [WPK] Central Committee took place in central Pyongyang on 27 February (Monday).  Kim Jong Un (Kim Cho’ng-u’n; KJU) once again […]

Feb, 28

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