Succession Watch
A look at what’s happening within the North Korean leadership.
North Korea after Kim Jong Il: The Risks of Improvisation
Kim Jong Il’s death was announced less than three weeks ago. But the world is surprisingly quickly getting used to the new leadership in North Korea, as if there were no concerns left at all. To provide a counterweight to this amazingly complacent mood, and the many speculations about a stable North Korean future (including my own), I’d like [...]
Kim Jong Un’s Power and Policy: Current State and Future Prospects
North Korea’s “Supreme Leader” Kim Jong Il died on December 17, 2011. Kim Jong Il’s era is gone and Kim Jong Un is now the new leader. How solid is Kim Jong Un’s grip on power at the moment? Can Kim Jong Un continue to consolidate his power into the future? And what kinds of policies will the new leader pursue toward the US and South [...]
The Key Question
Stability is the word on everyone’s lips, from diplomats, to cable news pundits, to the man on the street. But when headlines shout, “Concerns over stability on Korean peninsula,” what do they mean? Stability in North Korean society is almost a given, at this point. Transfixed as we are by the cultishness of Kim Jong Il’s North Korea, [...]
The Party as the Kingmaker: The Death of Kim Jong Il and its Consequences for North Korea
Kim Jong Il is no more. The state news agency KCNA reported that he died on his train on Saturday, December 17, 2011. He was on his way to offer another round of on-the-spot field guidance, working himself to death for his beloved people. This is the official version that we have actually seen under preparation for quite a while, including in [...]
