North Korea Leadership Watch

Research and Analysis on the DPRK Leadership

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

No Kwang Chol Returns as Defense Minister

Gen. No Kwang Chol (No Kwang-ch’o’l) was appointed Minister of National Defense during the 11th session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly [SPA] held 7-8 October (Monday and Tuesday).  He replaces Gen. Kang Sun Nam […]

Oct, 08

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

Memorial Events Held to Mark Death of Marshal Hyon Chol Hae

DPRK elites marked the one-year anniversary of the death of KPA Marshal Hyon Chol Hae (Hyo’n Ch’o’l-hae) on 19 May (Friday). Kim Jong Un (Kim Cho’ng-u’n; KJU) and Minister of National Defense Gen. Kang Sun […]

May, 21

Ri Pyong Chol issues statement

Workers’ Party of Korea [WPK] Secretary for Defense Industry and WPK Central Military Commission Vice Chariman, Marshal Ri Pyong Chol (Ri Pyo’ng-ch’o’l) issued a statement on 17 April (Monday) upbraiding the convocation of a United […]

Apr, 20

March Missile Mania Is Over (and let’s stop predicting #7)

Three events capped off Kim Jong Un’s (Kim Cho’ng-u’n; KJU) March Missile Mania, including his inspection of war heads at the Nuclear Weapons Institute [NWI]. From 25 to 27 March (Saturday through Monday), the DPRK […]

Apr, 04

KJU Supervises Tactical Nuclear Counterattack Drill

The Korean People’s Army [KPA], Missile Guidance Bureau and Nuclear Weapons Institute staged a two-day nuclear command and control [NC2] drill which simulated a tactical nuclear weapons’ counterattack on 18 March (Saturday) and 19 March […]

Mar, 22

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