North Korea Leadership Watch

Research and Analysis on the DPRK Leadership

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

Plenary Personnel

North Korea made a series of personnel changes during the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) 11th plenary session, held December 23-December 27.  Although some analyses make far too much of the correlation between personnel and […]

Jan, 04

Kim Ki Nam Funeral Committee

Kim Ki Nam, former DPRK propaganda and culture chieftain, passed away due to old age and chronic health (“decrepitude and multiple organ dysfunction,” according to KCNA) at the age of 94 in Pyongyang on 7 […]

May, 08

Gen Z’s Volunteer for KPA Service

The DPRK’s university students and other young people are volunteering to join, or rejoin, the Korean People’s Army [KPA] with “800,000 youth league officials and students across the country” on 17 March (Friday) and the […]

Mar, 22

DPRK Cabinet Party Committee holds meeting

The Workers’ Party of Korea [WPK] Committee of the DPRK Cabinet (hereafter, the Cabinet Party Committee) held an expanded meeting on 15 March (Wednesday) as a follow-up to the last Central Committee plenum meeting. DPRK […]

Mar, 16

Central Committee Plenum Holds Break-out Sessions

The 7th plenum of the 8th Workers’ Party of Korea [WPK] Central Committee held sideline consultative policy meetings on 28 February (Tuesday). “Sectional study and consultative meetings to frame scientific, realistic and dynamic measures for […]

Mar, 01

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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