KCNA | North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observes a rocket test-launch, 2014
Recently, NK News acquired the full text of the Workers’ Party of Korea’s (WPK) rules and it is a remarkable document indeed.
The new 2021 rules, officially approved in January at the Eighth Party Congress but not published in open media, clearly indicate that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his inner circle believe they are heading toward trouble.
This becomes apparent from a look at Article 26 and Article 28, both of which introduce new, remarkable and unprecedented institutional arrangements to prepare for a potential emergency affecting Kim.
FIRST SECRETARY
Article
Recently, NK News acquired the full text of the Workers’ Party of Korea’s (WPK) rules and it is a remarkable document indeed.
The new 2021 rules, officially approved in January at the Eighth Party Congress but not published in open media, clearly indicate that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his inner circle believe they are heading toward trouble.
Andrei Lankov is a Director at NK News and writes exclusively for the site as one of the world's leading authorities on North Korea. A graduate of Leningrad State University, he attended Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung University from 1984-5 - an experience you can read about here. In addition to his writing, he is also a Professor at Kookmin University.