North Korea Remains Stable Amid Increased Emphasis on Party Discipline, Some Governance Anomalies, and Daughter’s Growing Prominence
This article is from the first edition (April-June 2025) of 38 North’s new quarterly product, North Korea Briefing, that monitors key internal developments in North Korea. For the full series, click here.
During the second quarter of 2025, North Korea remained politically stable despite state media’s stepped-up rhetoric on Party ideology and discipline, an unusual public profile afforded to Kim’s top aide Choe Ryong Hae, and parliamentary elections that are overdue by more than a year. Kim’s daughter effectively made her diplomatic debut by accompanying him to the Russian Embassy to celebrate Russia’s Victory Day, which is consistent with her growing public prominence.
Stepping Up Party Discipline
In late May, Kim Jong Un censured the failed launch of a destroyer at Chongjin Shipyard, characterizing it as “a serious accident and criminal act caused by sheer carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism which should never occur and could not be tolerated.”[1] Kim attributed this accident to a lack of discipline rather than technical issues.
Context and Implications
Kim highlighting discipline as the major issue in the failed ship launch is consistent with North Korea’s tendency to attribute problems to external factors such as economic sanctions or infectious disease, or negligence, ideological laxity, and officials’ incompetence. North Korea has shown a greater degree of transparency by infusing a touch of reality into propaganda since Kim Jong Un came to power, with Kim himself openly acknowledging failures and expressing emotions.
Ideology and discipline are staple topics in North Korean propaganda, but it has been reinforcing these two themes since the Party Secretariat meeting in late January.[2] The meeting was convened in response to a “serious incident involving reckless violations of party discipline, negative privileges and special treatment, and grave infringements on the dignity and rights of the people” in Jagang Province. Kim Jong Un strongly condemned the case as an “absolutely unforgivable super-large criminal act.” His criticism of the failed ship launch pointed in the same direction. The regime’s longevity depends on unity under the supreme leader. North Korea, therefore, will likely reinforce discipline further in light of two major upcoming Party events: the 80th Party founding anniversary on October 10 this year, and the Ninth Party Congress scheduled for next year.
Choe Ryong Hae’s Unusual “Guidance” vs Kim Jong Un’s Increased Authority
On June 8, North Korean state media reported that Choe Ryong Hae, president of the Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA) Presidium, visited economic development sites and “guided [chido; 지도]” their work, marking the first such reference to Choe’s public activity.[3]
Context and Implications
In principle, only the North Korean supreme leader conducts on-site “guidance,” while non-Kim officials give on-site “inspections [ryohae; 료해].” Although state media in 2020 reported on high-ranking officials’ rare on-site “guidance,” the reappearance of this term in connection with Choe, Kim’s close aide, is notable given Kim’s increased authority this year.[4] For example, from 2020, Kim Jong Un occasionally “presided over” Party meetings, which was a departure from past practice of “guiding” them. In recent months, however, Kim has returned to “guiding” such meetings. In parallel, state media have significantly scaled back on Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il propaganda, as seen in their subdued treatment of the late leaders’ birth anniversaries. For instance, in February, Kim Jong Un visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun for the first time in four years to mark his father’s birthday. However, for the third consecutive year, he did not pay respects at the Palace to mark his grandfather’s birthday in April.
Overdue Legislative Elections
As of July 2025, North Korea has yet to hold its next SPA elections, which should have been held in March 2024. The North last held its quinquennial parliamentary elections in March 2019 and convened the opening session of the 14th SPA the following month. The North Korean constitution stipulates a five-year term for SPA deputies and provides that their terms may be extended until the elections should “unavoidable circumstances” prevent them from proceeding as scheduled. Although the elections are more than a year overdue, North Korea has not offered an explanation on what these “unavoidable circumstances” may be.
Context and Implications
This is a notable anomaly for two reasons. First, significant delays of SPA elections are extremely rare. Moreover, this is the first time North Korea has failed to hold SPA elections as scheduled under Kim Jong Un. Second, this significantly delayed election is starkly out of character for Kim Jong Un, who has institutionalized decision-making processes in the Party and the SPA since the outset of his reign. For example, Kim revived Party meetings, including Party Congresses, that remained defunct under his father. It is also worth noting that nearly two years have passed since North Korea made significant revisions to its electoral law in August 2023.[5]
Kim’s Daughter and Next-Generation Education
In May, Kim Jong Un’s daughter accompanied Kim to the Russian Embassy to celebrate Russia’s Victory Day, effectively making her diplomatic debut and marking another milestone in her rising public profile.[6] As the daughter’s prominence grew, the profile of Kim’s wife, Ri Sol Ju, has decreased significantly, both in terms of the frequency of her public appearances and her physical distance from Kim Jong Un in public settings. One example is the recent opening of the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Area, where Ri was repeatedly shown walking behind Kim and the daughter on state-run television.[7]
Context and Implications
The rising public profile of Kim’s daughter appears to be connected to Kim Jong Un’s increasing emphasis on next-generation education. In March, for example, North Korea held its first-ever “National Grand Short Course of Korean Children’s Union Instructors.”[8] Kim Jong Un reportedly gave detailed instructions leading up to the seminar’s organization.[9] Furthermore, in January, Kim received a visiting performing arts troupe of pro-North Korean students residing in Japan.[10] This appeared to reflect both the importance he attaches to the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (GAKRJ; Chongryon) and his interest in youth education.
- [1]
“새로 건조한 구축함진수식 진행 [Launch Ceremony Held for a Newly Built Destroyer],” Rodong Sinmun, May 22, 2025.
- [2]
“조선로동당 중앙위원회 제8기 제30차 비서국 확대회의에 관한 보도 [Report on the 30th Enlarged Meeting of the Secretariat of the Eighth Workers Party of Korea Central Committee],” Rodong Sinmun, January 29, 2025.
- [3]
“최고인민회의 상임위원회 위원장 황해남도의 여러 부문 사업을 현지에서 지도 [SPA Presidium President Gives On-Site Guidance of Various Sectors’ Work in South Hwanghae Province],” Rodong Sinmun, June 8, 2025.
- [4]
“리병철부위원장 장연군의 협동농장들에서 태풍피해복구사업을 지도 [Vice Chairman Ri Pyong Chol Guides Typhoon Damage Recovery Work at Cooperative Farms in Jangyon County],” Rodong Sinmun, September 1, 2020; “박봉주부위원장 장연군의 여러 농장에서 태풍피해복구사업을 지도 [Vice Chairman Pak Pong Ju Guides Typhoon Damage Recovery Work at Various Farms in Jangyon County],” Rodong Sinmun, September 1, 2020; “조선로동당 중앙위원회 부위원장들 황해남도 여러 농장의 피해복구사업을 현지에서 지도 [Workers Party of Korea Central Committee Vice Chairmen Give On-the-Spot Guidance on Damage Recovery Work at Various Farms in South Hwanghae Province],” Rodong Sinmun, September 1, 2020.
- [5]
“조선민주주의인민공화국 최고인민회의 상임위원회 제14기 제27차전원회의 진행 [27th Plenary Meeting of the 14th DPRK Supreme People’s Assembly Presidium Held],” Rodong Sinmun, August 31, 2023; “수정보충된 각급 인민회의 대의원선거법에 대하여 (1) [On Amended and Supplemented Law on the Election of Deputies to People’s Assemblies at Various Levels (Part 1)],” Minju Joson, October 18, 2023.
- [6]
“경애하는 김정은동지께서 로씨야의 위대한 전승절에 즈음하여 우리 나라 주재 로씨야련방대사관을 축하방문하시였다 [Respected and Beloved Comrade Kim Jong Un Paid a Congratulatory Visit to the Russian Federation Embassy in Our Country on the Occasion of Russia’s Great Victory Day],” Rodong Sinmun, May 10, 2025.
- [7]
“사회주의문명개화의 새 경관을 펼친 동해기슭의 관광명소, 원산갈마해안지관광지구 준공식 성대히 진행 [Completion Ceremony of the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Area, a Tourist Attraction on the East Sea Coast That Has Unfolded a New Landscape of Socialist Civilization’s Blossoming, Grandly Held],” Korean Central Television, June 26, 2025.
- [8]
“새시대 소년혁명가, 소년애국자육성에서 근본적인 전환을 안아오자 –전국학교소년단지도원대강습 진행 [Let Us Bring About a Fundamental Change in Raising Young Revolutionaries and Young Patriots for a New Era – National Grand Short Course of Korean Children’s Union Instructors Held],” Rodong Sinmun, March 31, 2025.
- [9]
Ibid.
- [10]
“경애하는 김정은동지께서 재일조선학생소년예술단 성원들을 만나주시였다 [Respected and Beloved Comrade Kim Jong Un Met With Members of the Korean Students and Youths Art Troupe in Japan],” Rodong Sinmun, January 3, 2025.