The speed and strength of Kim Jong Un in establishing his standing as a man of supreme power will depend on how much the North Korean power elite will support him in unity. Kim Jong Un will not be able to solidify his power foundation without gaining enthusiastic help from, or control of the power elite. In other words, unity and movement of the power elite are the key variables in establishing and stabilizing the Kim Jong Un regime. With regards to this point, this study analyzes the characteristics, structure, and network of the power elite under the Kim Jong Un regime, and particularly focuses on examining the possibility of whether factions can be formed.

Ⅰ.Introduction Ⅱ.Application of the Theory of Power Elite to the North Korean Regime 1.Models for Analyzing Policy Conflict among Elites in Socialist Regimes 2.Applying the Policy Conflict Analysis Models to North Korea Ⅲ.Power Elite Network in terms of Sociodemographic Variables 1.Sociodemographic Distribution of KWP Central CommitteeMembers and Candidate Members 2.Network of Central Committee Members and Candidate Members Ⅳ.Elite Networks in terms of Interaction 1.Structure of Networks and Coherence 2.Changes in the Eigenvector Centrality of Major Figures by Period Ⅴ.Shift in Generations and Mainstream of the New Power Elite Ⅵ.Conclusion