North Korean House of Cards

director and a “key official.” 542 As for Kim Sol-song, her institutional links to the
OGD are not as robust as her half-sister’s, but she is married to Kim Kyong-ok
according to some rumors. 543
Whether by design or coincidence, the fortunes of the OGD appeared to
diminish later in 2014. Kim Kyong-ok disappeared from public view for several
months and was rumored to have been executed. As Choe Ryong-hae returned to
prominence in the fall following a brief hiatus, his status once again eclipsed that
of Hwang Pyong-so. According to some Pyongyang-watchers, Choe may have even
been appointed Director of the OGD. 544 Although the reasoning for this speculation
is somewhat suspect and based almost entirely on interpretations of public appearances,
it does suggest the possibility that Kim Jong-un may have grown weary of the
rumors centered on his role as Supreme Leader, especially after having disappeared
from public view for several weeks in the fall of 2014. By circulating rumors of
OGD ties to the Kim family and former regents, Kim Jong-un may have taken steps
to rein in the OGD.
iii. Jo Kyong-chol’s Public Profile Begins to Rise
If it is true that Kim Jong-un has taken the next step in power politics inside
the regime to include institutional manipulation, an example of this appears to
be the changing profile of the MSC. Jo Kyong-chol, the Commander of the MSC,
had been one of the most obscure members of the internal security apparatus. This
changed in February 2014.
At a ceremonial gathering at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on February
16th, Kim Jong-il’s birthday, Jo Kyong-chol was shown standing in the row of
military commanders just behind First Chairman of the NDC Kim Jong-un. This
was the first time that Jo was shown side-by-side with the head of the GPB, Choe
Ryong-hae, and GSD, Ri Yong-gil. In previous gatherings, he had stood in the second
or third rows in the company of KPA commanders. Two days later, Jo appeared
in Nodong Sinmun seated three seats away from Kim Jong-un and Ri Sol-ju during
a concert by the State Merited Chorus in celebration of the “Day of the Shining
542 In 2015, Kim Yo-jong has mainly been identified as working with the KWP PAD. References
to her work with the OGD have for the most part disappeared.
543 Ibid.
544 Recent speculation is that Choe Ryong-hae is the KWP Secretary for Working Organization,
a significant demotion from his past positions a Secretary for Military Affairs and Director of the GPB.
No one has yet been identified as the Director of the KWP OGD.
Ken E. Gause
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