North Korean Policy Elites - Defense Technical Information Center

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Internet is not specifically mentioned, it appears that a very select few may have access for no doubt clearly circumscribed purposes. Such people are surely among the most trusted and the most monitored in the country, but they may also be among the most curious. F. NORTH KOREA’S IT ERA Whether her own words or supplied by the helpful writers at Minju Choson, Hwang Tokman’s invocation of a Kim Jong-il-inspired information technology era may indicate a chink in the Dear Leader’s armor. Kim has also dubbed this, “the age of science, technology and computers.” 32 His eldest son, Kim Jong-nam, was appointed by his father as head of the North Korean Computer Committee. 33 All this adds up to indicate that Kim Jong-il and at least some of the leadership have determined that North Korea must develop certain advanced technologies in order to survive, if not compete with the outside world. The reality is, of course, that the information revolution is distancing Seoul from Pyongyang by orders of magnitude at an ever-increasing rate. That some North Korean leaders have grasped this indicates that they have some idea of developments - and their implications - in the outside world. How they deal with this may prove the downfall of the Kim regime, just as President Ronald Reagan predicted communication would topple the already teetering Soviet Union. 34 The Korean Workers’ Party newspaper Nodong Sinmun reports three areas in which “primary efforts should be directed:” information technology, nanotechnology, and bioengineering. 35 (Hwang’s research involves two of these!) This drive has resulted in a number of developments that affect how various members of the North Korean elite may receive some information from outside the country. Though the numbers are yet small, Dr. Hwang cannot be the only researcher with limited access to the outside world, probably via the Internet. Even if she never manages a peek at AskJeeves.com, she must be awed by the quantity and quality of data openly available from the Brookhaven National Laboratory site. Colleagues will find similar offerings on sites pertaining to their respective fields. Their computers are no doubt carefully monitored and they know that 32 Song Sun-sop, “Developments in North Korea’s IT Sector, and North-South Exchanges and Cooperation Following the Joint Declaration of 15 June 2000,” Seoul Pukhan, December 1, 2001, FBIS translation KPP20011210000045. Hereafter cited as Song Sun-sop. 33 Lee Kyo-kwan, “Kim Jong-il’s Eldest Son Heads the IT Industry in NK,” NKchosun.com, posted April 23, 2001. (nk.chosun.com) 34 President Ronald Reagan, Speech at Moscow State University, USSR, May 31, 1988. Text of the speech is available Online at http://www.forerunner.com/forerunner/X0692_Reagans_Speech_in_Mo.html. 35 FBIS Report, “DPRK Channeling Foreign Information Technology, Information to Regime Goals,” November 24, 2003, KPP20031124000116. Hereafter cited as FBIS Report (IT). V-8
security agents are peppered among co-workers and friends. Still, the eyes of intelligent, educated people see what they see, and this cannot help but have some effect. Although we must be cautious about reports originating in Pyongyang, it is worth noting here that KCNA has reported that since March 2003 E-Mail has been available to North Korean businesses through the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications. 36 It may not be as much of a “growing trend,” as KCNA says, and access is surely circumscribed and monitored. Nonetheless, even communications of a strictly business nature open a window, if only a crack, and even if only to a few. Meanwhile, an Internet cafe has opened in Pyongyang. Reportedly, high prices restrict the clientele to foreign officials based in Pyongyang 37 Another interesting development has been a North Korean cellular telephone network. Naturally, “the great general personally selected the mobile communications network format.” 38 According to North Korean reports, there are now 20,000 subscribers. Ten base sites have been erected in Pyongyang and 40 nationwide, toward a planned total of 59. Apparently, cost keeps most North Koreans from cell phone service - the initial cost can be as much as $1,200. Again, we should be suspicious, particularly of the numbers reported, but a cellular telephone network of any kind and size in North Korea is big news. 39 Some other indications of Pyongyang’s budding interest in information technology include holding the Pyongyang International Science and Technical Book Exhibition since 2001, and reportedly even buying books on Amazon.com. Also, a number of North Korean technical delegations have attended events such as the China International Software and Information Service Fair in Dalian and the World PC Expo in Tokyo. A North Korean “Go” computer game team has traveled to a number of international competitions. 40 There also are a number of software development joint ventures with China, South Korea, and Koreans in Japan. 41 Reportedly, North Korean interest in IT industry development has even 36 Kim Chi-yong, “Fatherland News: KCNA Transmits Photo Regarding Service Provided by International Telecommunications Bureau,” Tokyo Choson Silbo (Internet version), November 29, 2003, FBIS translation KPP20031129000026. Note that Choson Silbo is a pro-Pyongyang newspaper in Japan, citing KCNA, North Korea’s official broadcast service. 37 FBIS Report (IT). 38 Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). 39 Telecommunications Progress; “Choson Sinbo Notes Number of DPRK Mobile Phone Subscribers Surpasses 20,000,” Seoul Yonhap, December 4, 2003, FBIS translation KPP20031204000063, hereafter cited as DPRK Mobile Phone; “DPRK Minister Discusses Telecom Development for International Communications,” Pyongyang KCNA, October 1, 2003, 1042 GMT, FBIS translation KPP20031002000047. 40 FBIS Report (IT). 41 Ibid. See also Song Sun-sop, however, beware that this is written by a South Korean Unification Ministry official whose purpose is to advance “Sunshine Policy.” The quality and extent of North-South IT ventures may not be all he describes. V-9
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INSTITUTE FOR DEFENSE ANALYSES Nort
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INSTITUTE FOR DEFENSE ANALYSES IDA
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CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY & INTROD
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To write accurately about North Kor
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technocrats, provincial and county
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PREFACE This paper will examine in
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ABBREVIATIONS AGI CCSKA COMSEC DoD
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information streams, and from him t
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within the hands of a few individua
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and whether or not he will embarras
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to the lowest-levels of the KPA. As
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strengthening of all armed forces,
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esearch institutes and “think tan
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The primary missions of the Reconna
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communication that generally fall o
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of the State Security Department or
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maintaining strict control over the
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agencies in the ROK and Japan began
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The Guard and Security Commands, wh
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eports that are funneled up through
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Complicating the entire “Kim-cent
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Within the military, this dynamic c
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him that all significant orders and
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Until the 1990s, the electronic med
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II. THE NORTH KOREAN LEADERSHIP: SY
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TABLES 1. Key Family Members in the
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The factional struggles in North Ko
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A. INTRODUCTION By definition, a to
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C. THE TECHNOLOGY OF POWER A Party
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document control bureaus in each mi
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Originally implemented in 1994 and
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Table II-1. Key Family Members in t
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of associates who trace their relat
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September 9, 2003, showed a change
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Chart II-2: Secretariat 5. Kye Ung-
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Members 1. Yi Ul-sul 4. Yi Yong-mu
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Table II-6. Kim Chong-il’s Princi
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Table II-7. Kim Chong-il’s Person
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chance to unfold. In terms of syste
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domestic policy arena, the split is
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At the second echelon of power, Kim
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D. FLOW OF INFORMATION George Kenna
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about things that affect their care
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(ID) and External Liaison (ELD) dep
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For the rest of the North Korean le
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the focus for not only a significan
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At the 11 th Supreme People’s Ass
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There is little doubt that one of t
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decision-making process. Moreover,
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III. THE WELL-INFORMED CADRE RALPH
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY DEFINITIONS AND A
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greater access to first-hand inform
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The first question addressed by thi
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But this lack of enthusiasm is prob
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as the 1950s. 16 The security organ
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Another way to look at divisions wi
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Because the Kim regime governs acco
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guess is that anyone who rises in t
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But even though the media serve as
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Newspapers The DPRK’s premier new
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motivation in its readers through m
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Page 2: • Kim Jong-suk’s develo
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This selection of news items presen
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in the wake of the U.S. propaganda
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the general audience in a two-step
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also countries surrounding the Kore
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that the war in Iraq was “a test
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and transform us internally through
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eceived with little thought and has
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outside world than the ordinary wor
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cognitive dissonance, particular ca
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IV. INSIDE NORTH KOREA’S BLACK BO
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The North Korean
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A. BETTER, MERRIER, MORE HOPEFUL LI
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In contrast, the optimists believe
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to the throne. The State Council us
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1976-1977, 4 and in 1986-1987 (see
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Bulgarian Trade Unions, after which
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Second, the principal objective of
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southward expansion, and, last but
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controlling some of North Korea’s
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also against the second-tier family
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Kim Sung-ae, who is Kim Il Sung’s
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“National Security Establishment
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October 1980. Many of them (Yon Hyo
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severe draught in 1988 and the dram
Page 192 and 193: The advent of the “Songun Era”
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Page 196 and 197: Bearing in mind Kim Jong Il’s rec
Page 198 and 199: Table IV-2. Composition of the Nort
Page 200 and 201: Cabinet Posts 10 th SPA 11 th SPA R
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Page 206 and 207: Table IV-7. Regional Origins of Top
Page 208 and 209: “Foreign Wind” The “foreign w
Page 210 and 211: Table IV-10. Some of the Most Influ
Page 212 and 213: Table IV-11. The North-South “Han
Page 214 and 215: Song Sok Hwan Vice-Minister Cha Sun
Page 216 and 217: Table IV-13. Korean-American “Int
Page 218 and 219: content and government monitoring.
Page 220 and 221: Northern security, military, and pa
Page 223: APPENDIX B TONGIL STREET FREE MARKE
Page 227: V. REACHING INTO NORTH KOREA DAVID
Page 231 and 232: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY North Korea is no
Page 233: message right to Kim Jong-il, and m
Page 236 and 237: isk escape from the hermit kingdom.
Page 238 and 239: Society is divided into three broad
Page 240 and 241: contradictions.” 17 This makes se
Page 244 and 245: led to a training program for young
Page 246 and 247: North Korea’s exports from legiti
Page 248 and 249: een the biggest buyers of ivory ove
Page 250 and 251: worker who travels throughout North
Page 252 and 253: If we want to reach into North Kore
Page 254 and 255: conversations with the correct mix
Page 256 and 257: Although the future of cellular tel
Page 258 and 259: There are a host of other things on
Page 261 and 262: Each of the five papers in this col
Page 263 and 264: promotions) and punishments (e.g.,
Page 265 and 266: although presumably all calls are m
Page 267 and 268: cultural rules.” Given the “str
Page 269: Speaking of Kim, whom does he consu
Page 273: Terms of Reference: North Korean Po
Page 277 and 278: Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. is an intern
Page 279: APPENDIX C ASIAN VIEWS OF NORTH KOR
Page 282 and 283: In any case, the reforms provide a
Page 284 and 285: View from Seoul The single most imp
Page 287: Form Approved REPORT DOCUMENTATION
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