North Korean House of Cards

2. Party
• Kang Sok-ju (76) has been a member of the Politburo since 2010
and the KWP Secretary for International Affairs since 2014. 657 Kang
has been a major player in North Korean foreign policy since the
1980s, when he was in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For nearly two
decades, he has been the key advisor to the regime on negotiations and
interactions with the United States, including serving as chief nuclear
negotiator. He was also often seen at Kim Jong-il’s side during summits
with regional powers, including China, Russia, and South Korea. 658
His ties to the senior leadership give him additional influence. He is a
cousin of Kim Jong-il, as he is related to Kim Il-sung’s mother, Kang
Pan-sok. His ties to Kim Kyong-hui and Kim Yong-nam go back to the
1970s, when all three served in the KWP International Department.
While some of his responsibilities have been shifted to vice ministers
of Foreign Affairs, he likely remains an influential strategist in
helping Kim Jong-un maneuver within the international arena. 659 His
promotion to Party Secretary in 2014 ensures that he has direct talks
with Kim Jong-un on a regular basis.
• Kim Yang-gon (73) has been an alternate member of the Politburo
and the KWP Secretary for South Korean Affairs since 2010, as well
as Director of the KWP United Front Department (UFD) since 2007.
The UFD is the Party’s intelligence agency dedicated to South Korean
operations. Kim’s role in facilitating dialogue between the two Koreas in
the past was rarely acknowledged but highly significant. Kim Yang-gon
is Kim Jong-il’s cousin and was a close confidant. Along with Kim
Jong-il, he was responsible for signing off on all media pronouncements
related to inter-Korean relations. 660 His influence under Kim Jong-un
was not clear until 2014. Because inter-Korean relations have been
frozen since the beginning of the Lee Myung-Bak administration, the
657 Kang Sok-ju replaced Kim Yong-il as the KWP Secretary for International Affairs. He also
most likely assumed the position of Director of the KWP International Affairs Department.
658 His trip to Cuba in June 2015 in the aftermath of the advent of normalization of relations
between the island nation (and traditional North Korean partner) and the United States indicates the
trust the regime continues to have in his ability to handle sensitive matters of foreign policy.
659 “Kang Sok Ju Meets European Politicians,” KCNA, March 6, 2014. In March 2014, Kang
Sok-ju traveled to Europe to meet with a number of European politicians as part of North Korea’s
“charm offensive.”
660 Author’s interviews in Seoul, November 2012.
Committee for Human Rights in North Korea
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