North Korean House of Cards

Name Position(s) Comments
General Kim
Yong-chol
(69)
• Member of the
CMC (since
2010)
Kim Yong-chol’s ties to Kim Jong-un allegedly
date back to the early 2000s, when
he oversaw Kim Jong-un’s education at
• Vice Chief of
the GSD (since
2013)
Kim Il-sung Military University. Previously,
he was in the GC and served as a bodyguard
to Kim Jong-il. The RGB has been
• Director of the
RGB (since
2009)
tied to the 2010 sinking of the Cheonan
and the 2015 landmine explosions along
the DMZ. Formally, his access to the senior
leadership would go through Chief of
the GSD, Ri Yong-gil, and Vice Chairman
of the NDC, O Kuk-ryol. However, Kim
Yong-chol’s long-time relationship with
Kim Jong-un likely provides him with a
private channel of communication, especially
on issues related to South Korea and
in times of crisis. He was ranked 54th on
Jon Pyong-ho’s Funeral Committee list.
General
Choe Pu-il
(71)
• Alternate
Member of the
Politburo (since
2013)
• Member of the
CMC (since
2010)
• Member of the
NDC (since
2013)
• Minister of
People’s Security
(since 2013)
A close associate of the Kim family for years,
Choe Pu-il is rumored to be a favorite of
Kim Jong-un. As Minister of People’s Security,
he reported up to Jang Song-taek and
the NDC. This apparently has not hurt his
standing within the leadership; however, he
did disappear from public view for awhile
following the collapse of a housing unit in
Pyongyang in 2014. He was ranked 20th
on Jon Pyong-ho’s Funeral Committee list.
Committee for Human Rights in North Korea
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