Kim Jong Un is the "ultimate decision-maker" in Pyongyang but is yet to fully consolidate his power, a North Korea leadership expert said on Friday, warning that, as a result, the next two-to-five years will be “critical for the regime.”

Speaking at a Washington, D.C. event to launch his “North Korean House of Cards” report, Ken E. Gause suggested that serious problems could emerge if Kim Jong Un did not consolidate power within that timeframe.