Yul Kwon:
What MBC is talking about is an article from the Japanese newspaper, The Mainichi, that claims to have obtained actual statements made by Kim Jong-un. According to the newspaper, Kim is urging his party to consider more options for economic reform, including ones based on capitalism. For a communist country whose economy is entirely state-run, this is a potential game-changer if it's true. To help us assess Kim's speech, we turn to Korea expert Peter Beck, who joins us via Skype from Seoul. Mr. Beck is country representative in Korea for the Asia Foundation. Thanks for joining us today. Now the big surprise was the Mainichi piece that MBC quoted. It indicated that Kim Jong-un was considering big economic reforms. Do you buy it?

Peter Beck:
Well, we can't rule anything out, but I think we have to be very careful when reviewing North Korea that I think they're reading too much into what Kim Jong-un may have said. Watching his speech, it was clear that he's going to follow in the footsteps of his father and his grandfather. It's possible that they could launch reforms, but I think it's too early to tell.

Yul Kwon:
Now another surprising thing was how relaxed everyone seemed about the failure of the rocket. If you looked at the footage, the three officials who were responsible for the rocket program were actually on the stand along with Kim Jong-un. They weren't fired, so what does that tell you?

Peter Beck:
Well, it'll be interesting to see in the month to come whether they're still appearing with him or not, because North Korea does have a habit of purging those who have failed. But it was very unusual for the regime, particularly so quickly, but even at all, to admit that the rocket had failed. So it was surprising that they admitted that, and it's even more surprising that Kim Jong-un would appear two days later and make his first speech.

Yul Kwon:
Now the fact that Kim Jong-un even gave a speech is unusual, especially in North Korea. I mean, Kim Jong-un's father, Kim Jong-il, never gave a public speech. So what is the regime trying to do here?

Peter Beck:
Well, it's true that for 17 years, the North Korean people basically never heard the "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-il speak in public. So this is quite a change. But from the very beginning, Kim Jong-un resembles his grandfather, and I think he's trying to pattern himself after his grandfather, who was a very charismatic leader, regularly gave speeches in public. His father actually set the bar very low for him. His father did not seem comfortable in public and never gave public speeches.

Yul Kwon:
So it seems like he's trying to pattern himself more like his grandfather, rather than his father. Why is he doing that, and how does it help him?

Peter Beck:
Well it is. He resembles his grandfather much more than his father ever did. But if you look at patterns, there are many analysts, particularly on the right, who say, "How can North Korea have a 28-year-old take over the country? This is not going to work." Well, if you look at the last 150 years of Korean history, going back to the 1800s, all of Korea's leaders -- kings, emperors, and Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il -- were all in their 20s or 30s when they were brought out to the public. So this is not unusual at all, and Kim Il-sung himself was in his early 30s when he was introduced to the North Korean public in 1945, 46.

Yul Kwon:
There are a number of possible different audiences for his speech, right? I mean, there's the North Korean people, there's the military, the party, and then there's the international community. Who was he really trying to speak to, and do you think he was successful?

Peter Beck:
His most important audience is the military and the party. Those are two of his key support groups, and everyone else doesn't really matter. I think one of the reasons he gave the speech so soon after the failed launch was that he wanted to convey that he's in control. There's been a lot of speculation as to whether he was really calling the shots, and whether he would be able to maintain his grip on power. And I think he was trying to make, if nothing else, a statement that he's in control. But really, he has to impress the military and the party.

Yul Kwon:
Thanks for coming on the show today, Peter. Peter Beck is an expert on security issues in North and South Korea. He's been published in Foreign Affairs and the Wall Street Journal. You can learn more about Peter at linktv.org/linkasiaexperts.