When North Korean media reported on the Eighth Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) Congress on Jan. 5, there was one relative unknown that stood out from the list of well-known presidium member attendees: Kim Hyong Sik. Although Kim has attended every Politburo meeting since the Central Committee announced the Congress in August, he had not been explicitly named in North Korean media until now.

We know Kim’s name because his name card was visible during a Politburo meeting in September. Thanks to the unusually long table, he was not required to sit to the side with other