North Korean House of Cards

events involving light industry. It is probable that this was one of the
offices through which Kim Kyong-hui coordinated her activities with
the Personal Secretariat when she was the Director of the KWP LID
and later KWP Secretary for Light Industry. Since her disappearance
from the political scene, the office most likely continues to liaise with
the relevant Central Committee bodies, as well as the Ministry for
Light Industry.
• The Office of the Secretary for Education, Culture, and Arts is an
office that has its origins in Kim Jong-il’s passion for the arts. 373 It
has ties to Choe Tae-bok, the KWP Secretary for Education, as well
as the KWP Science and Education Department. Kim Jong-un has
made a number of statements on education including advocating that
compulsory education be expanded from eleven to twelve years in
2012. Presumably, the office generates reports on educational issues. As
for the arts, it is unclear whether Kim Jong-un shares his father’s passion.
• The Office of the Secretary for Economic Affairs did not exist under
Kim Jong-il, but may now exist under Kim Jong-un. According to
defector testimony, it has been one of the more forward-leaning offices
in his Personal Secretariat. It not only facilitates communications with
the Cabinet and technocrats throughout the regime, but also devises
long-term economic strategy. Presumably, this is where Kim Jong-un’s
key economic advisors sit.
• The Office of the Secretary for Agriculture is an office that did not
exist within the Main Office of Secretaries in the Kim Jong-il era.
However, the emphasis that Kim Jong-un has placed on agriculture
as part of the June 2012 reforms would suggest that a relevant line of
communication now exists for this sector.
4. Role in the Supreme Leader’s Decision-Making
Every leader has a unique process through which he makes decisions. This
is informed by his leadership style and relationship to the apparatus that serves him.
In North Korea, this has certainly been the case. Kim Il-sung, who was a powerful
leader with revolutionary credentials, preferred to utilize the formal leadership
apparatus to inform his decision-making. His personal office was small and purely
373 There are numerous stories of Kim Jong-il making comments and notes in margins of opera
and movie scripts. Presumably, this office would have coordinated this correspondence.
Ken E. Gause
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