An analysis released on Thursday suggests North Korea’s rare disclosure of discussions from an expanded Secretariat meeting indicates worsening systemic instability within the country.
Kim In Tae, a senior research fellow at South Korea’s Institute for National Security Strategy, recently published a report titled “Evaluation and Outlook of the 30th Expanded Secretariat Meeting of the 8th Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK).” The report states that the meeting on January 27 appeared to have been convened urgently due to internal irregularities rather than as part of a scheduled agenda.
The Secretariat, responsible for overseeing internal party affairs, typically operates under strict confidentiality. Approximately 30 such meetings have occurred since the 8th WPK Congress in 2021, yet only three—including the latest one—have publicly disclosed their contents. According to Kim, this suggests that the matters discussed were of significant national importance.
Under the party’s rules, the Secretariat deliberates and decides on internal policy matters, oversees their implementation, and functions as the central command for nearly 20 specialized departments within the WPK Central Committee.
On January 29, North Korea revealed details of the meeting, stating that “officials from the Onchon County Party Committee and administrative leadership in Nampo City have completely rejected party discipline and collectively committed large-scale corruption.” It further noted that “inspectors from the agricultural audit agency in Usi County, Jagang Province, have abused their authority, committing anti-people crimes and engaging in major criminal activities that severely violated the interests and property of the people.”
Notably, both regions involved in these high-profile cases were designated pilot zones under the Regional Development 20×10 policy and received intensive attention from the central leadership. Given that these incidents occurred in areas handpicked for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s flagship regional development initiative, he is believed to have handled the situation.
Kim In Tae noted, “While the regime emphasizes nationwide mobilization to enforce party decisions, the gap between rhetoric and reality is widening.” He suggested that while only two regions were publicly implicated, widespread corruption is likely prevalent nationwide.
He further speculated that North Korea’s drastic decision to dismantle the local party and administrative organizations in these regions reflects deep dissatisfaction with growing misconduct at the grassroots level and concerns over the setbacks and ultimate success of the Regional Development 20×10 policy.
Moreover, the incidents appear to have emerged in an environment where North Korea has encouraged citizen petitions to strengthen discipline and improve enforcement. Kim assessed that public complaints from residents affected by corruption likely triggered the crackdown.
Kim argued that North Korea strategically amplifies cases raised by party members or residents, using them to justify the absolute legitimacy of the supreme leader’s rule.
He further predicted that such trends could fuel greater unrest among the ruling elite as North Korea focuses on preparing for two major events—the 80th anniversary of the WPK’s founding in October this year and the expected 9th Party Congress in early 2026.
The regime is expected to intensify ideological campaigns targeting lower-level officials in the coming months and strengthen centralized control measures. However, as more corruption cases surface, the momentum for advancing key party initiatives may weaken.