Although North Korea is formally known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), the country’s recent local elections did not embody any semblance of democracy. Local elections have been held in the country since 1999, occurring every four years; this election will be the first since Kim Jong-un came to power in 2011. Sunday’s elections selected the country’s provincial governors, mayors and local assemblies.
The capacity for local elections should indicate the loosening of Kim Jong-un’s authoritarian grip; however this is not the case. Voters’ choices are severely limited by the number of candidates and their forced participation.