North Korean House of Cards

Secretariat. 359 Kim Jang-son has been a constant presence around Kim
Jong-un since the latter took power. 360
• The Office of Adjutants (Office 6) coordinates the protection of the
Supreme Leader. It presumably liaises with the Guard Command and
other elements of the internal security apparatus. Adjutants from this
office accompany Kim Jong-un on his guidance inspections. According
to one source, the adjutants form the inner circle of security around
the Supreme Leader and are the only people allowed to carry guns in
his presence. Under Kim Jong-il, this office had approximately 1,200
officers and soldiers, the size of a KPA battalion. The current Chief
of the Office of Adjutants is unknown. Under Kim Jong-il, Choe
Pyong-yul held this post. 361 Recent reporting suggests that under Kim
Jong-un, Colonel General Ko Su-il, an uncle on his mother’s side, may
be in charge of Kim Jong-un’s personal security. 362
• The Office of the Assistant for Intelligence coordinates foreign
intelligence for the Supreme Leader. Under Kim Jong-il, this office
was composed of two divisions: Division 25 and Division 31. These
divisions partitioned the world, gathering and monitoring intelligence
and working closely with the SSD, RGB, Office 35, and North
Korean embassies. Pak Yong-jin was in charge of Division 25 and Kim
Hyon-chol headed Division 31. 363 It was from this office that the plans
for the kidnapping of Japanese citizens were developed. Today, the
office is presumably tied to the North Korean investigation into what
happened to those Japanese citizens.
• The Office of the Assistant for Military Strategy is a large office with
eight divisions, numbering over 100 officers spread across various parts
of the KPA. It is responsible for coordinating military information
from around the world and devising a coherent set of operational plans.
These plans inform the larger strategy that is facilitated through the
359 Michael Madden, “Biographies: Kim Chang-son,” op. cit. Kim Jang-son was instrumental in establishing
an executive office for Kim Jong-un in the NDC, modeled after Kim Jong-il’s Personal Secretariat.
360 During Kim Jong-il’s funeral, Kim Jang-son escorted Kim Yo-jong and a group of close Kim
family aides in paying their respects. As funeral events unfolded, he routinely appeared at Kim Jong-un’s side.
361 Interview with a North Korean defector in Seoul, May 2013. See also “DPRK Defector on
Kim Jong-il’s Family and Close Aides,” Gendai Weekly, August 2003. A graduate of Kim Il-sung Military
University, Choe Pyong-yul was handpicked by Kim Jong-il, who recognized his sharpshooting skills.
362 Choe Seon-Yeong and Jang Yong-Hun, “Kim Jong-un’s Uncle Reported to be in Charge of
Kim’s Personal Security,” Yonhap News Agency, September 22, 2013.
363 Pak Yong-jin is the son of Kim Po-pae, who served as a housekeeper for Kim Il-sung throughout
her life. Recent reporting suggests that Pak may now be the Director of the Daesong Guidance Bureau.
Ken E. Gause
165