North Korean Policy Elites - Defense Technical Information Center

agencies in the ROK and Japan began to notice the use of commercial encryption software and
Internet email services by CCSKA agents operating in their countries. The websites of the U.S.
Department of Defense are heavily visited by users from the DPRK. The Internet also has
provided a means to quickly and easily disseminate propaganda and engage in disinformation
campaigns. The internet, along with foreign broadcasts, appears to be a major source of
information for the CCSKA.
Central Committee members who hold the rank of department director or above and a
limited number of other KWP officials receive the regularly published classified bulletin
“Reference Information.” It contains translations of foreign news items with an emphasis on
news from the ROK, Japan, and the U.S. The information is presented in much the same manner
as Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) reports - uncensored and without commentary.
It is unclear if distribution extends outside the KWP; however, members of the National Defense
Commission undoubtedly have access to it and similar products from other agencies. 27
The information channel subordinate to the National Defense Commission consists of
three sub-channels: the General Political Bureau, the State Security Department, and the Ministry
of People’s Armed Forces.
As noted above, the General Political Bureau is primarily concerned with internal
security within the KPA. While institutionally subordinate to the National Defense Commission,
it is controlled by the KWP. Although the majority of its reports apparently proceed up through
the KWP channel, some may bypass this and go directly to members of the National Defense
Commission or Kim Chong-il.
The State Security Department functions both as an intelligence agency engaged in active
operations overseas and a domestic political security force (i.e., secret police). It is most
comparable in function to the former Soviet KGB. It controls both the MPAF’s Guard Command
and Security Command. The information it collects and the reports and briefings it produces
cover the entire spectrum. For internal missions, the State Security Department and the Guard
Command are the agencies most directly responsible for the security of Kim Chong-il. In this
role, the State Security Department collects information on possible threats to Kim Chong-il and
the political reliability of members of the military and power-holding elite. Its counterespionage
and counterintelligence missions allow it collect additional information on anyone within the
DPRK, including foreign residents. Depending upon its nature, the information and intelligence
27
It is unclear whether the “Reference Information” publication noted here still exists as such. It is, however,
probable that there are a series of products similar to FBIS available to the military and power-holding elite
today. “North Korean Defectors 27 July News Conference,” pp. 3-4.
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