This is part of NK News’ series of opinion and analysis of the first five years of Kim Jong Un’s rule.

When Kim Jong Un first came to power, he seemed like something of a long shot. Could this princeling, still only in his twenties, really maintain order and secure the rule of his family amid the endless cloak and dagger ways of North Korean politics? Many assumed he’d quickly be assassinated, some that he’d simply be a puppet for more powerful interests.

But five years on and the Kim Dynasty of North Korea seems stronger than ever. The ruling