Overview

• North Korea has acknowledged dissenting votes in local elections for the first time since the 1960s, with state media reporting that 0.09% and 0.13% voted against the selected candidates for the provincial and city councils, respectively.
• This month's election was the first since North Korea revised its election law in August to allow multiple candidates.
• Despite the reported dissent, over 99% of voters still backed the selected candidates, according to state media.
• Analysts suggest this could be an attempt by the North Korean regime to portray an image of a normal society on the world stage, rather than a meaningful increase in rights.
• The voter turnout slightly decreased to 99.63% from 99.98% four years ago, which some analysts interpret as a minor weakening in state control.