The Politics of Legal State-Building in North Korea: Kim Jong-un’s Rule by Law and the Dilemma of Regime Stability

This study examines North Korea’s legal state-building under Kim Jong-un, focusing on the increasing role of law in maintaining regime stability and enforcing legal and social control amid socio-economic changes driven by marketisation within the state. North Korea pursues stability through its legal framework, marking a shift from party rule over law to state rule by law. However, this rigid framework fails to accommodate emerging market realities, ultimately undermining North Korea’s long-term stability due to the growing gap between legislation and implementation despite Kim’s efforts to strengthen legal structures to ensure political and institutional stability.