Though the true state of politics in Pyongyang remains opaque, sources in the capital report early signs of discontent. Daily NK reports

The North Korean regime has always relied on public loyalty to the ruling Kim dynasty to maintain its totalitarian grip on power. But following a series of apparent high-profile executions, sources within the country suggest that cracks are beginning to show amid a growing willingness to express dissatisfaction with Kim Jong-un’s leadership.

Criticism of the alleged recent execution of the defence chief, Hyon Yong-chol, has been circulating in the capital, sources say, although it is impossible to verify these claims independently.

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“Kim’s popularity among citizens has rapidly declined,” a woman from South Pyongyan province, who asked to remain anonymous, said during a phone conversation on 31 May. “People say that considering the fact that Kim had executed dozens of high-ranking officials within the few years since coming to power, ‘there’s no hope left’.”

Criticism of Kim, who succeeded his father Kim Jong-il in 2011, has spread to other regions of the country, she says, with the common complaint being that the younger Kim is “even worse than his father”.

Another source in North Pyongyan confirmed reports of mounting criticism, adding that unlike during the Kim Jong-il era: “officials in rural regions and security agents are far more inclined to air grievances more publicly regarding the leadership”.

“Not only residents but even party cadres sneer when they see footage broadcast idolising the leader,” he claimed. “Many just say, ‘this sucks’, and switch off the TV.”

Last week the North Korean military reportedly issued a directive banning its forces from discussing the execution of Hyon, for fear of “inciting chaos” amongst armed forces, or worse, garnering sympathy for the former minister.

“Orders from the top have been handed down calling for severe punishments to those who ‘spread absurd rumours’ [about Hyon],” another source who wished to remain anonymous claimed.

Talk of the leader himself, however, persists.

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It’s claimed that where North Korean residents once favourably compared former leader Kim Jong-il’s character to the stormy weather of Mount Paektu; now they say his son’s temperamental nature has instead led to a “despondent population”.

Similar sentiments are shared among the student population, the source added, where classmates sporting hairstyles similar to the leader are mocked, calling it a “gangster” cut, embodying Kim Jong-un’s “temperamental ways”.

