North Korean House of Cards

Image 39: Yun Jong-rin and Kim Jong-un during inspection of Unit 963 in December 2014
(Source: KCTV, 02 December 2014)
Below the Commander is a Chief of Staff and at least two Vice Commanders,
who oversee the bureaus responsible for security and administration. The First
Bureau is responsible for the security and protection of the Supreme Leader, his
relatives, and senior Party officials and infrastructure. This bureau is closely tied
to Office 6 of the Supreme Leader’s Personal Secretariat, which oversees the inner
circle of protection around the Leader. It is also closely linked to a separate Capital
Security Bureau and a rapid response unit. The Second Bureau is in charge of
logistics and carries out the administrative functions tied to transportation, construction,
and maintenance of the Supreme Leader’s properties. 575
The First Bureau is made up of three guard departments, a rear area logistics
department, and several protection units at the battalion, regiment, and brigade levels:
• The First Guard Department was originally responsible for the
protection of Kim Il-sung. 576 Since his death, this department has
assumed responsibility for the protection of the Kumsusan Memorial
575 The information for this section is based on numerous interviews with Pyongyang-watchers
specializing in internal security affairs, as well as some senior defectors with unique access to information
on the GC. Additional information is based on Ho Hye-il’s book, Bukan Yojigyeong [Kaleidoscope of
North Korea] (Seoul: Malgeun Sori Publishing, 2006). He is an alleged former bodyguard and trade
official who defected from North Korea in 2004.
576 During Kim Il-sung’s life, this command was also responsible for the protection of his wife,
Kim Song-ae. It is not clear whether the First Guard Department still has this responsibility.
Ken E. Gause
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