Who really holds the power in North Korea? This seemingly basic question gets at the heart of one of the most pressing questions that has faced North Korea analysts and experts since the division of the two Koreas in 1945. However, recent events on the peninsula suggest that it is indeed the aptly-named Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un who holds the power north of the DMZ.
From hosting former NBA bad boy Dennis Rodman to recently meeting personally with Chinese and South Korean leaders, Kim Jong Un has shown the world that it is indeed himself that holds the reins in North Korea. Few, if any, elderly statesmen in the DPRK would urge a young leader to personally meet an unstable and unpredictable countercultural figure, such as Rodman, and find that a worthwhile endeavor in consolidating one’s power domestically in arguably the world’s most isolated state.
Who really holds the power in North Korea? This seemingly basic question gets at the heart of one of the most pressing questions that has faced North Korea analysts and experts since the division of the two Koreas in 1945. However, recent events on the peninsula suggest that it is indeed the aptly-named Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un who holds the power north of the DMZ.
From hosting former NBA bad boy Dennis Rodman to recently meeting personally with Chinese and South Korean leaders, Kim Jong Un has shown the world that it is indeed himself that holds the reins in North Korea. Few, if any, elderly statesmen in the DPRK would urge a young leader to personally meet an unstable and unpredictable countercultural figure, such as Rodman, and find that a worthwhile endeavor in consolidating one’s power domestically in arguably the world’s most isolated state.
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