North Korea: domestic developments during Kim Jong-Un’s first year in power
This note briefly surveys domestic developments in North Korea since the death of Kim Jong-Il in December 2011 and the succession of his son, Kim Jong-Un. The nuclear issue is referred to only in passing. Insofar as we can know, Kim Jong-Un appears to have consolidated power smoothly and quickly. There are signs that the new leadership wants to shift from a 'Military First' to a 'People First' policy, which will involve economic reform measures. However, there are no real signs yet of an improvement on human rights.
This note briefly surveys domestic developments in North Korea since the death of Kim Jong-Il in December 2011 and the succession of his son, Kim Jong-Un. The nuclear issue is referred to only in passing. The note comes with the usual health warning about North Korea – as one expert, Andrei Lankov, said recently: “Frankly, most of the time we are entirely ignorant, and a very large part of what is reported in the media is based on unreliable hearsay.” He went on to say that nowhere is this truer than in the sphere of ‘high politics’, including leadership-level manoeuvring.
See also Standard Note SN06536, “In brief: North Korea and the nuclear issue one year on since the succession” (28 January 2013)
For previous House of Commons Library briefings on North Korea see: North Korea’s dynastic succession, (SN06173, 3 January 2012); North Korea: An Update (SN05915, 24 March 2011); North Korea: Recent Developments (SN05096, June 2009); North Korea: The Nuclear Issue and Prospects for Change (RP 07/03, January 2007)