North Korean House of Cards

Name Position(s) Comments
Ki Kwangho
• Minister of
Finance (since
2015)
Ki Kwang-ho has the reputation as a savvy
finance expert who gets results. He is also
linked to efforts to restructure in the North
Korean banking system.
d. Key individuals in the Fourth Echelon of
the Leadership
There are a number of functionaries, technocrats, and military officers far
down the chain of command who are largely unknown to the Pyongyang-watching
community, but play critical roles in the regime. These individuals are mostly in
their 30s, 40s, and 50s. They have either been handpicked by Kim Jong-un for key
jobs within the regime apparatus or have a personal relationship with the new
leader, and thus have some access to him in the course of their work. 216 These are
the up-and-coming North Korean leaders who will likely assume critical positions
as Kim consolidates his power. According to some reports, Kim Jong-un’s Personal
Secretariat is mostly populated with these bureaucrats in the fourth echelon. For
now, they are note-takers and act as Kim’s eyes and ears in various parts of the
regime. In the future, they could form critical lines of communication and serve
as trusted advisors. Table 4 lists some of the individuals believed to be part of this
fourth echelon. Because it is difficult to identify North Korean individuals at this
level, the list is speculative at best.
216 Many have developed their relationships with Kim Jong-un through the course of his guidance
inspections. Some now frequently accompany him on his visits, which would suggest that they are
particularly close to the new leader.
Ken E. Gause
99