Earlier this week, North Korean state media reported that Kim Jong Un rose to even higher ranks and was promoted to general secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK). North Korea also revealed reforms to its party structure meant to better watch party discipline and prevent corruption.

North Korea had already announced that the WPK was going to return to its pre-2016 party structure in a report on party rules on Jan. 10, which explicitly stated that the Executive Policy Council and its party vice chairs will be turned into a party secretariat and secretaries. [/p