North Korea Leadership Watch

Research and Analysis on the DPRK Leadership

Special Investigative Committee Formed Under National Defense Commission

On 4 July 2014, the DPRK Government formed a special investigative committee charged with a “comprehensive” enquiry into the the whereabouts and status of all Japanese nationals presently residing, or who have previously resided, in […]

Jul, 04

Kim Jong Il’s Return

Kim Cho’ng-il has returned to the DPRK via Dandong.  His third trip to the PRC in less than year remains open to interpretation.  Two events scheduled on either end of the DPRK-PRC border intended to […]

May, 28

Jong Un Trial Balloon to Beijing (Or a stalking horse to Jilin?)

2010 was the year Pyongyang watchers  waited for Kim Cho’ng-il to travel to China.  KCI managed to live up to the hype, as news photographers staked out his private train.  When the media veil under […]

May, 08
New FMD Outbreak

New FMD Outbreak

According to the DPRK government’s own reporting to international organizations, the country saw new cases of foot-and-mouth disease [FMD] in late Febraury and March.  Yonhap reports: A new outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) occurred in […]

Apr, 24

12th SPA’s 4th Session Elects New NDC Member, MPS

The 4th session (plenum) of the 12th Supreme People’s Assembly [SPA] convened Thursday [7 April] at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang.  Neither Kim Cho’ng-il nor Kim Cho’ng-u’n attended the meeting.  Defying the speculative pronouncements […]

Apr, 07

A Cadre Looks at 70

Wednesday [16 February] marked Kim Cho’ng-il’s birthday.  In the Party History Institute’s official chronicle, Kim Cho’ng-il was born February 1942 in a wooden house near Mt. Paektu.  Unofficial accounts say that KCI was born in […]

Feb, 17

KCI Meets PRC Public Security Minister

  Kim Cho’ng-il met with China’s Public Security Minister, Meng Jianzhu, who arrived in the DPRK on Sunday [13 February].  During his stay in the country, Meng has met with Kim Yo’ng-nam and KPA Chief […]

Feb, 15

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