December 06, 2023

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Martin Weiser

Martin Weiser

Martin Weiser received his MA from Korea University in 2014 with a thesis explaining North Korea’s changing human rights policy. He has continued researching North Korea’s political history as an independent researcher since then. His writings have appeared on SinoNK and in 2018 an article on the country’s legal system appeared in the European Journal of Korean Studies.

Analysis

North Korea’s post-reform elections looked a lot like those that came before

State media again reported near 100% turnout but acknowledged votes against chosen candidates for first time in decades

Martin WeiserMartin WeiserNovember 30, 2023
Analysis

North Korea’s election reforms are not the first time voters have had a choice

Single-candidate polls are the norm, but past examples of competitive elections provide precedent for making changes

Martin WeiserMartin WeiserNovember 24, 2023
Analysis

Why North Korea dropped a reference to ‘defending’ Kim Jong Un from constitution

Surprise deletion of phrase introduced in 2019 is sign leader has eliminated perceived military threats to his rule

Martin WeiserMartin WeiserNovember 20, 2023
Analysis

Primaries in Pyongyang? Decoding North Korea’s electoral reforms

New law does little to make elections free, but allowing two candidates marks small step toward greater citizen input

Martin WeiserMartin WeiserOctober 23, 2023
Analysis

North Korea expels inter-Korean policy head from politburo in sign of infighting

Ri Son Gwon’s demotion points to disagreements over policy toward Seoul, while purged officials return to top positions

Martin WeiserMartin WeiserOctober 6, 2023
Analysis

North Korea goes viral: How Seoul’s unification minister spread rumor as fact

Analysis of over 5,400 YouTube videos sheds light on direction of inter-Korean policy under Kim Yung-ho

Martin WeiserMartin WeiserOctober 5, 2023
Analysis

What North Korea’s state media reveals about Kim Jong Un’s inner circle

Top military man Pak Jong Chon and premier Kim Tok Hun both appeared out until suddenly showing up alongside the leader

Martin WeiserMartin WeiserSeptember 11, 2023
Analysis

North Korea’s silence on elections could point to changes in how citizens vote

Recent plenum referenced election reform, which could ditch single-candidate polls without sacrificing state control

Martin WeiserMartin WeiserJuly 25, 2023
Analysis

Why North Korea is one of the only nations to use force to defend its EEZ claims

DPRK has long imposed extreme restrictions over its exclusive economic zone, leading to violent encounters in past

Martin WeiserMartin WeiserJuly 19, 2023
Analysis

Kim Jong Un promotes democracy in North Korea — on his terms

Leader’s silence at plenum appears tied to effort to limit his own role, a move that may paradoxically empower him

Martin WeiserMartin WeiserJuly 11, 2023
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