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.

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...