North Korean House of Cards

i. Structure
The headquarters of the OGD is located within the Central Committee
Office 1 Complex in Haebangsan-dong, Central District, Pyongyang. It is composed
of around 300 staff members. Traditionally, the department exists under a chain
of command that begins with a KWP Secretary for Organizational Affairs, who
also holds the post of Department Director. Since Kim Jong-il’s death, no official
holding these positions has been identified. It was speculated that for some time, Kim
Kyong-hui may have had at least part of the portfolio for organizational affairs. Other
speculation has suggested that Choe Ryong-hae may have assumed the portfolio as
part of his role as one of Kim Jong-un’s lead advisors on Party issues. 561 Of course,
there is the very real possibility that Kim Jong-un has assumed this portfolio in its
entirety in his capacity as First Secretary of the Party.
Beneath the director, there have traditionally been four first vice directors
who hold the portfolios for central Party affairs, national Party affairs, military
personnel, and administrative affairs. 562 Each of these first vice directors oversees
a number of bureaus dedicated to Party life guidance, reporting, and inspection.
Together they are responsible for surveillance and control of the critical aspects of
the regime, including:
• Central Party Affairs. This portfolio belongs to First Vice Director Jo
Yon-jun. He oversees the Party life of the nearly 3,500 members of the
central Party apparatus. He also has the authority to investigate senior
Party leadership. This has only occured a few times in the history of the
Party. Such investigations are the purview of the OGD alone.
• National Party Affairs. This portfolio covers the rest of the Party’s organizational
life below the central level. This First Vice Director manages
all the Party organizations of the regional Party and state organizational
sections, as well as Party organizations of social organizations. It is not
clear whether anyone holds this portfolio. Kim Hee-taek, who was a First
Vice Director from 2001 to 2009, was the last known person to directly
manage national Party affairs for the OGD.
561 Although not confirmed, most Pyongyang-watchers believe that Choe Ryong-hae is the KWP
Secretary for Organization Works, not Organization Affairs.
562 At present, there are reportedly two to three first vice directors: Kim Kyong-ok; Jo Yon-jun;
and possibly Hwang Pyong-so. It is not clear whether Hwang formally severed his ties with the OGD
when he became Director of the GPB. Kim Kyong-ok has not been seen in public since December 2014
and may have retired or been removed from the OGD.
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