N. Korea may face sudden political changes: expert
2015/08/13 15:36
SEOUL, Aug. 13 (Yonhap) -- North Korea risks unexpected political changes, while leader Kim Jong-un seems to maintain a strong grip on power for now, an expert said Thursday.
Yoo Ho-yeol, a professor of North Korean studies at Korea University in Seoul, cited the likelihood of rifts among the North's power elites amid Kim's reign of terror and new economic policy.
"North Korea is expected to continue a hereditary dictatorship, but there is a possibility of unexpected changes," he said at a forum on inter-Korean ties co-hosted by Yonhap News Agency, South Korea's leading news outlet, and the Presidential Committee for Unification Preparation.
Yoo pointed out the North's young leader has expanded his power base through a generational shift of top officials and increased role of the Workers' Party.
It's in contrast to his late father Kim Jong-il's "military-first" policy.
Yoo said the North's power elites appear to be increasingly involved in loyalty competitions, while displeasure with Kim's leadership style may grow among military officials.
South Korea's state intelligence agency said Kim executed Hyon Yong-chol, who once served as the North's defense chief, in April.
North Korean Vice Premier Choe Yong-gon was also executed in May, after expressing frustration at Kim's policy, according to an informed source.
Under North Korea's current policy of pursuing both nuclear weapons and economic development, Yoo said the repressive Pyongyang leadership is likely to maintain its hereditary regime.
Among Kim's family members, his younger sister, Yo-jong, appears to be the only one able to give him advice, according to the professor.
Meanwhile, North Korea's announcement last week that it would push back its timezone by 30 minutes is an example of its dictatorial leadership, he added.
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