North Korea’s Internal Landscape The Pyongyang regime under Kim Jong-un has delivered on full-scale efforts to revive past policies across multiple fronts - foreign policy, economic, social, and cultural affairs, which signals a significant policy reversion. The Kim regime has reiterated its adherence to this policy initiative until the 9th Party Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) scheduled at the end of 2025. A series of renewed efforts at tightening the WPK’s grip on the country’s economy starkly manifest this shift. Pyongyang vowed to roll back its previous economic policy marked by tacit approval for lower-level economic units’ autonomy and delegation of authority, to build the most optimal economic structure for augmenting its nuclear war-fighting capabilities through centralized resource allocation. By contrast, the North Korean people who are accustomed to the spread of private markets, and mid-level government officials involved in private interest networks appear to harbor grievances. Against this backdrop, the North Korean regime will likely pivot to ideological reversion enshrined in the slogan of “Constructing an Ideal Socialist Country,” partially resuming trade with China and Russia under its supervision to improve the supply of essential goods to keep the domestic situation under control.

Ⅰ. Political Landscape on the Korean Peninsula

1. North Korea’s Internal Landscape
2. Recent Developments in North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons Program and Inter-Korean Relations

Ⅱ. Political Landscape of Major Powers

1. Northeast Asia
2. The U.S.
3. China
4. Japan
5. Russia

Ⅲ. Political Landscape in the World’s Major Regions

1. Southeast Asia
2. South Asia
3. Europe
4. The Middle East
5. Central Asia
6. Africa
7. Latin America and the Caribbean

IV. Global Issues and Governance

1. International Trade
2. International Monetary and Financial Issues
3. International Law
4. Emerging Security
5. Climate Change and Energy Issues
6. Development Cooperation