North Korean leadership activity in June showed a continuation of an important trend: consolidation of power. Pyongyang has been making changes in the leadership frequently since the death of Kim Jong Il and especially since the ouster of Jang Song Thaek and his associates in December. Many old guard officials have been removed or relegated to less powerful posts while a group of rising and influential elites around Kim Jong Un have been gaining more power for themselves and their allies.

June also featured light military provocations in the form of highly publicized weapons tests, even as