What matters most to Kim Jong Un: A powerful military or a military that remains loyal to him?
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that → matter → him
North Korea has treated its military as a central pillar of the regime for decades.
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Korea → treat → decades
It has developed nuclear weapons and missiles, expanded military cooperation with Russia, and increased its military influence on the Korean Peninsula.
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It → develop → Peninsula
But a series of developments inside North Korea in 2026 points to another concern.
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series → point → concern
For the leadership in Pyongyang, maintaining the military’s political loyalty and organizational control may be just as important as strengthening its combat capabilities.
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maintaining → maintain → capabilities
In July, Kim held an unusual meeting attended by senior officials from the party, government, and military, where he publicly criticized corruption within the armed forces.
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he → hold → forces
North Korean state media accused Pak of abusing his authority, accepting bribes, and using his position for personal gain.
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media → accuse → gain
Kim described the case not simply as an individual act of misconduct, but as a serious violation of the anti-corruption campaign being pursued by the Workers’ Party of Korea.
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Kim → describe → Korea
The General Political Bureau is one of the key institutions through which the Workers’ Party controls the military.
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Party → control → military
Its Organization Department has played a significant role in managing political officers, party affairs, personnel appointments, and political reporting within the armed forces.
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Department → play → forces
According to 38 North, the department’s influence extended beyond personnel assignments and promotions to aspects of military resources and administration.
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influence → accord → resources
That raises a fundamental question: What happens when an organization created to control the military becomes a channel through which power and resources inside the military can be exploited?
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power → raise → military
If military positions can be bought, reports manipulated, and problems prevented from reaching the leadership, a leader can no longer be certain that the organization he believes he controls accurately reflects what is happening on the ground.
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what → buy → ground
The Workers’ Party directly controls the military, while the political-officer system is designed to manage political loyalty within the armed forces.
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system → control → forces
If that system of party control fails, the leadership risks losing reliable information and control over the very personnel system on which it depends.
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it → fail → which
Personnel changes among senior military officials followed the Pak case.
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changes → follow → case
In August, North Korea reshuffled several senior military positions, including the defense minister.
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Korea → reshuffle → minister
Kim Song Gi, formerly a senior official in the General Political Bureau, was appointed defense minister.
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Gi → appoint → Bureau
Pak Jong Chon moved to the position of vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, while other senior officials in the military security and political apparatus were also reassigned.
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officials → move → apparatus
38 North has suggested that these changes may reflect an effort by the party leadership to restore political control over the military following the problems exposed by the Pak Hui Chol case.
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changes → suggest → case
And the process does not appear to have ended there.
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process → appear → ?
On Oct. 3, Daily NK reported that investigations following the Pak case were expanding into the political departments of the North Korean military.
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investigations → report → military
Political officers at the headquarters of the Eighth Corps in North Pyongan Province were reportedly subjected to inspections, transfers, and early-discharge orders, with similar measures extending to political officers in subordinate divisions, brigades, and battalions.
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measures → subject → divisions
Political departments are also reported to wield considerable influence over promotions and disciplinary actions within the military.
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departments → report → military
What does this mean?
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this → mean → What
It would be too strong to conclude that Kim distrusts the entire military.
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Kim → conclude → military
North Korea’s military buildup remains one of the regime’s central priorities, and the armed forces remain one of the most important pillars of Kim’s power.
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forces → remain → power
The military’s capabilities provide the state with power.
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capabilities → provide → power
But the institutional influence of the military leadership is also a political variable that a leader must constantly manage.
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leader → manage → that
In nuclear-armed North Korea, any instability in the military’s chain of command, political loyalty, or personnel system is not merely an organizational problem.
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instability → arm → command
It can directly connect regime security with national security.
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It → connect → security
The more important questions are: Why did North Korean leaders conclude that such abuses were possible within an organization created to control the military?
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abuses → conclude → military
And what answer is Kim Jong Un giving himself?
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Un → give → himself
North Korea’s military power continues to grow in 2026.
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power → continue → 2026
At the same time, Kim Jong Un appears to be tightening and reorganizing the political mechanisms through which he controls the military.
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he → appear → military
In fact, the stronger the military becomes, the more important it may be to determine who controls that power and how.
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who → become → power
For Kim, the goal may not simply be to maintain a powerful military.
uncertain
goal → maintain → military
It may be to maintain a powerful military that he can control to the very end.
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he → maintain → end
She holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Politics and Unification Studies from the University of North Korean Studies.
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She → hold → Studies
Her research focuses on North Korean politics, nuclear policy, society and culture, and unification discourse.
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research → focus → politics
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
