Kim Jong Un’s sweeping leadership reshuffle at the Ninth Party Congress—including the exclusion of Choe Ryong Hae—signals tightening internal control driven by his growing fear of elite disloyalty, but it risks weakening elite confidence and eroding the very loyalty he seeks to consolidate.

Xi’s purge of his most trusted general highlights a structural contradiction of dictatorships: powerful number twos are ultimately expendable—signaling rising elite tension and a likely rift between Kim Jong Un and his number two, Choe Ryong Hae.

News Summary Kim Jong Un visited the tomb of Hyon Chol Hae to mark the third anniversary of his death, honoring the military marshal who...

Explore how Choe Ryong Hae’s expanding influence is shaking the foundations of North Korea’s power structure—and what it means for the fate of the Kim regime.

News Summary A South Korean analysis reveals that Choe Ryong Hae, North Korea’s parliamentary chief, has built an expansive informal...