July was the first full month since North Korea created the new State Affairs Commission (SAC) – replacing the National Defense Commission (NDC) as the highest government state entity – and bestowing Kim Jong Un with the new title of chairman of the SAC. Both the name change and the difference in composition – with the SAC including officials dealing with issues such as foreign affairs, North-South affairs, and economic affairs, among others – generates further expectations of greater balance in attention to various sectors by North Korea’s leadership.

The publicized activity of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in