By Kang Seung-woo

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has stepped up a wide range of efforts to strengthen his grip on power, as the reclusive state's current unfavorable conditions, dented by COVID-19 and its bleak economy, are feared to pose a threat to the regime's survival.

The totalitarian state recently passed new laws, including those on foreign culture and telecommunications, and has carried out executions related to the pandemic. Pyongyang watchers believe such steps are mainly aimed at stopping possible cracks in the "rent-seeking" North Korean elite, who have fallen victim to decreased cross-border trade with China since the pandemic began.

Earlier this month, the Kim regime held a plenary meeting of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly to adopt the new laws, according to the (North) Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

"The law on rejecting the reactionary ideology and culture specifies the principles to be certainly observed by all the institutions, enterprises, organizations and citizens in further cementing our ideological, revolutionary and class positions by thoroughly preventing the inroads and spread of the anti-socialist ideology and culture and firmly maintaining our idea, spirit and culture," the KCNA said.

The foreign culture law was passed weeks after the North Korean leader criticized "non-socialist practices in educational organizations and in society" during a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, Nov. 15.

According to the KCNA, the party committee of Pyongyang University of Medicine committed "a serious crime," while other relevant organizations, including the party's Central Committee, were also accused and the criticism appears to be aimed at tightening discipline among state organizations.

On Nov. 29, Kim presided over a politburo meeting, during which a shake-up of organizations of the Central Committee was carried out to enhance its leadership and ideology.