North Korea's change has been expected mainly in the area of economy and society. Political reform has been thought to be improbable, considering North Korean regime's foremost concern about political survival and stability. The other side of the coin, however, is that economic reform could not be successful, if it would not be paralleled and bolstered by political and administrative reform, as was the case in China and Vietnam. If not a conscious and systemic maneuver, the changes in economic and societal conditions in the country made political adaption by the regime inevitable on behalf of pure survival. North Korea has confronted the same challenge especially since the July 2002 economic management reform. What could North Korea do as measure for political adaptation for the changed environment in and out of the country could be inferred by experiences of the former and still existing socialist countries especially including China. This paper investigates the trajectory and rationale for political reform measures in China and applies their lessons and experiences to North Korea's likely undertakings in the future.