Chinese President Xi Jinping’s trip to North Korea this month featured all the hallmarks of a state visit, from Kim Jong Un’s greeting on the airport tarmac and a welcome ceremony in central Pyongyang to summit talks, a state dinner and a cultural performance.

But amid all the pageantry, a curious stop at the DPRK’s party cadre school flew under the radar, despite offering insights into each sides’ priorities.

On June 9, Xi and Kim took a tour of the Workers’ Party of Korea Central Cadres Training School, with most analysts seeing it