North Korean House of Cards

headed by a chief and deputy chief who oversee a number of section chiefs and
guidance members. 605 Each provincial SSD headquarters has approximately 200 to
300 personnel. 606
In addition to the functional bureaus, the SSD apparatus also includes a
hospital, several colleges, a training center, several trading companies, 607 and a Special
Mission Group. The Special Mission Group allegedly reported directly to Kim Jong-il,
although its current chain of command is unclear. It is charged with conducting
surveillance and ideological investigations of high-ranking officials within the KWP,
SSD, Cabinet, and MPAF. It is supposedly composed of fifteen members who were
hand-selected by Kim Jong-il. Its role and function under Kim Jong-un is unclear.
ii. Role in the Regime
The SSD has enjoyed a privileged place in the political space around Kim
Jong-un since he became the heir apparent in 2010. In the first official photograph
of Kim, the future head of the SSD, Kim Won-hong, was seated next to the future
Leader at the Third Party Conference. Soon after the death of Kim Jong-il and the
advent of the Kim Jong-un era, Kim Won-hong took over the directorship of the
SSD, a position presumably occupied by the recently deceased Supreme Leader. In
the years since, Kim Won-hong’s influence continued to grow to the point that he
is now considered by many Pyongyang-watchers to occupy a seat in the inner circle
of advisors around Kim Jong-un. In 2015, rumors have begun to spread about Kim
Won-hong’s appetite for power, spurred on by stories of power struggles with Hwang
Pyong-so (GPB) and Jo Kyong-chol (MSC). How the relationships between these
powerful figures play out will have an impact on the future dynamics inside the
police state.
605 Author’s interview with a North Korean defector, Seoul. Within the provincial SSD, the chief
normally oversees the Tourist Surveillance Department and the Finance Department. Counterintelligence
and investigative affairs (including the tasks of the Prosecution Office) fall under the deputy chief.
606 Although not precise, the number of SSD personnel at the provincial level is based on a ratio
of one agent per 1000 people. The SSD at the county (gun) level normally has seventy to eighty personnel.
At the district (gu) level, the SSD normally has six to ten personnel.
607 A number of offices attached to these trading companies are rumored to be involved in
drug smuggling.
Ken E. Gause
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