On Tuesday, January 9, the Sejong Institute held the first colloquium of the year on the topic of “North Korea’s Power Elites’ Shift after the Sixth Nuclear Test: Evaluation and Outlook.” Moderated by Vice President Yang Un-chul, Director Cheong Seong-Chang presented on the topic, evaluating the personnel changes in the Political Bureau and General Bureau of the Party’s Central Committee, and Party’s Central Military Commission and speculated on North Korea’s domestic politics. Dr. Cheong said that should North Korea continue to conduct nuclear and ICBM tests, the discontent against Kim Jong-un among the party cadres and the population will increase as its isolation from the international community intensifies and thus, Kim Jong-un’s reign of terror will be reinforced to suppress such discontent and prevent people from defecting.