North Korean House of Cards

ones, lowering the average age of the inner circle from 76 to 62. 178 Outside of the
military figures mentioned above, four deputy ministerial-level officials from the
KWP are worth noting: Kim Pyong-ho, Vice Director of the PAD; Pak Tae-song,
Vice Director of the OGD; Hong Yong-chil, Vice Director of the Machine Industry
Department (MID); 179 and Ma Won-chun, Vice Director of the Finance and
Accounting Department (FAD). They frequently accompanied Kim Jong-un on his
guidance inspections and he reportedly praised their work.
2. Leadership Dynamics in 2014/2015
In his 2014 New Year’s address, Kim Jong-un hailed the execution of Jang
Song-taek as the elimination of “factional filth.” This was a brief reference to the
events of December. The address was scrutinized by the international community
for any signs of leadership changes after the purge, but none were apparent. The
only other major event broadcast on January 1, 2014, was Kim Jong-un’s visit to
the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun. Coverage showed the North Korean leader flanked
by his wife, Ri Sol-ju, and Chairman of the Presidium of the SPA, Kim Yong-nam,
alongside political and military officials. Senior military officers stood to Kim
Jong-un’s right again, as they did on his visit to the same building on the anniversary
of his father’s death on December 17th.
Contrary to much speculation in the Pyongyang-watching community, a
full blown purge and reshuffle of the North Korean leadership did not immediately
follow the Jang Song-taek purge. What did happen over the course of 2014 and into
2015 was a careful reordering of the key individuals around Kim Jong-un. Much of
this re-arrangement was only visible through a careful tracking of appearances by
individuals in close proximity to the Supreme Leader.
3. The Regent Structure
Jang Song-taek’s purge raised questions about the viability of the regent
structure around Kim Jong-un. Over the next several months, the Pyongyangwatching
community looked for signs regarding the fate of the other two regents,
Kim Kyong-hui and Choe Ryong-hae.
As of the summer of 2015, Kim Kyong-hui has not appeared in public since
September 2013, when she stood on the leadership podium during a military parade
178 Lee Young-Jong, “Report Details North Korea’s Rising, Falling ‘Stars’,” op. cit.
179 Although it has not been mentioned in North Korean media, Hong Yong-chil’s appearances
in 2014 suggest that he may have replaced Ju Kyu-chang as Director of the KWP MID.
Committee for Human Rights in North Korea
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