Last December, the world was appalled by the North Korean government's execution of Chang Song Thaek, an uncle-in-law of the young Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un and the regime's de facto second in command.
Given Chang's pivotal role in steering North Korea's moribund economy, his execution raised serious doubts about the regime's stability — raising fears of the collapse of a dynasty that possesses weapons of mass destruction. Ultimately, Chang's execution really affected only one other country, North Korea's only international ally: China.
Five months later, there remains no clear account of the motivation behind the decision to eliminate Chang. Nonetheless, a series of in-depth analyses have offered some insight into the power struggle among North Korea's leadership over the distribution of resources — including mining and other concessions — that are closely linked with the regime's foreign policy.
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