Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
94SEOUL8139
1994-09-28 05:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Seoul
Cable title:
DPRK LEADERSHIP - CHOSEN SOREN REPORTS
how-toR 280537Z SEP 94 FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9795 INFO AMEMBASSY BEIJING AMEMBASSY TOKYO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK USMISSION GENEVA SECDEF WASHDC JOINTSTAFF WASHDC COMUSKOREA SEOUL KOR//J-5// CHJUSMAG SEOUL KOR USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//J-5/FPA// USCINCUNC SEOUL KOR//UNCMAC//
C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 08139
GENEVA PLEASE PASS TO GALLUCCI DELEGATION
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL PGOV KS KN JA
SUBJECT: DPRK LEADERSHIP - CHOSEN SOREN REPORTS
C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 08139
GENEVA PLEASE PASS TO GALLUCCI DELEGATION
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL PGOV KS KN JA
SUBJECT: DPRK LEADERSHIP - CHOSEN SOREN REPORTS
1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.
2. SUMMARY. ON SEPTEMBER 24, THE DCM MET WITH A LEADING
JAPANESE EXPERT ON NORTH KOREA, WHO REPORTED ON THE
LEADERSHIP DYNAMICS INSIDE THE DPRK; THE DEVELOPING
RESPONSIBILITIES OF CERTAIN DPRK OFFICIALS; AND THE
EMERGING ROLE OF CHOSEN SOREN IN JAPANESE-DPRK RELATIONS.
END SUMMARY.
3. PROF. HAJIME IZUMI, AN ACADEMIC WELL KNOWN TO USG
OFFICIALS AND REGARDED AS ONE OF JAPAN'S LEADING
AUTHORITIES ON NORTH KOREA, MET WITH THE DCM ON SEPTEMBER
24 TO OUTLINE CHOSEN SOREN'S INFORMATION ON EMERGING NORTH
KOREAN LEADERS. IZUMI STATED THAT AFTER KIM JONG IL, THE
MOST POWERFUL EMERGING FIGURES IN THE DPRK WERE HIS
SISTER, KIM KYUNG HEE, AND HER HUSBAND, CHANG SANG TAEK.
KIM IS CHAIR OF THE POLICY INVESTMENT COMMITTEE, IN CHARGE
OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PROCUREMENT OF GOODS. CHANG'S
POSITION APPARENTLY INCLUDES RESPONSIBILITY FOR KIM JONG
IL'S BODYGUARDS. IZUMI STATED THAT, ACCORDING TO CHOSEN
SOREN, THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS APPEARED TO BE TAKING ON
RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE DPRK: KIM YOUNG SUN (ROK-DPRK
RELATIONS),SOME DPRK-US; HWANG JANG YOP (DPRK-RUSSIA);
CHOI RYUN HEE (ROK-DPRK "SPORTS DIPLOMACY"); AND HYON
CHONG GUK (DPRK-JAPAN). IZUMI SAID THAT KIM JONG IL
DIRECTLY SUPERVISES THE DPRK-US RELATIONSHIP.
4. IZUMI IDENTIFIED HYON CHONG GUK AS THE FORMER DPRK
AMBASSADOR TO THE PRC AND EDITOR OF THE NODONG SHINMUN.
HE OBSERVED THAT KIM DAL HYUN AND YOON HYUN MOK ARE
EXPECTED TO RE-EMERGE WITH NEW RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE
NEAR FUTURE.
5. IZUMI CLAIMED MUCH OF HIS BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION WAS
CORROBORATED BY ANTONIO INOKI, THE PRO WRESTLER-TURNED
PARLIAMENTARIAN WHO RECENTLY HAD VISITED NORTH KOREA. HE
ALSO ASSERTED THAT THE CHOSEN SOREN INCREASINGLY HAD TAKEN
THE ROLE OF A SEMI-OFFICIAL DPRK REPRESENTATIVE IN JAPAN,
AND THAT THE JAPANESE CABINET RESEARCH OFFICE HAD BEGUN
MEETING WITH CHOSEN SOREN OFFICIALS.
LANEY
GENEVA PLEASE PASS TO GALLUCCI DELEGATION
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL PGOV KS KN JA
SUBJECT: DPRK LEADERSHIP - CHOSEN SOREN REPORTS
1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.
2. SUMMARY. ON SEPTEMBER 24, THE DCM MET WITH A LEADING
JAPANESE EXPERT ON NORTH KOREA, WHO REPORTED ON THE
LEADERSHIP DYNAMICS INSIDE THE DPRK; THE DEVELOPING
RESPONSIBILITIES OF CERTAIN DPRK OFFICIALS; AND THE
EMERGING ROLE OF CHOSEN SOREN IN JAPANESE-DPRK RELATIONS.
END SUMMARY.
3. PROF. HAJIME IZUMI, AN ACADEMIC WELL KNOWN TO USG
OFFICIALS AND REGARDED AS ONE OF JAPAN'S LEADING
AUTHORITIES ON NORTH KOREA, MET WITH THE DCM ON SEPTEMBER
24 TO OUTLINE CHOSEN SOREN'S INFORMATION ON EMERGING NORTH
KOREAN LEADERS. IZUMI STATED THAT AFTER KIM JONG IL, THE
MOST POWERFUL EMERGING FIGURES IN THE DPRK WERE HIS
SISTER, KIM KYUNG HEE, AND HER HUSBAND, CHANG SANG TAEK.
KIM IS CHAIR OF THE POLICY INVESTMENT COMMITTEE, IN CHARGE
OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PROCUREMENT OF GOODS. CHANG'S
POSITION APPARENTLY INCLUDES RESPONSIBILITY FOR KIM JONG
IL'S BODYGUARDS. IZUMI STATED THAT, ACCORDING TO CHOSEN
SOREN, THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS APPEARED TO BE TAKING ON
RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE DPRK: KIM YOUNG SUN (ROK-DPRK
RELATIONS),SOME DPRK-US; HWANG JANG YOP (DPRK-RUSSIA);
CHOI RYUN HEE (ROK-DPRK "SPORTS DIPLOMACY"); AND HYON
CHONG GUK (DPRK-JAPAN). IZUMI SAID THAT KIM JONG IL
DIRECTLY SUPERVISES THE DPRK-US RELATIONSHIP.
4. IZUMI IDENTIFIED HYON CHONG GUK AS THE FORMER DPRK
AMBASSADOR TO THE PRC AND EDITOR OF THE NODONG SHINMUN.
HE OBSERVED THAT KIM DAL HYUN AND YOON HYUN MOK ARE
EXPECTED TO RE-EMERGE WITH NEW RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE
NEAR FUTURE.
5. IZUMI CLAIMED MUCH OF HIS BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION WAS
CORROBORATED BY ANTONIO INOKI, THE PRO WRESTLER-TURNED
PARLIAMENTARIAN WHO RECENTLY HAD VISITED NORTH KOREA. HE
ALSO ASSERTED THAT THE CHOSEN SOREN INCREASINGLY HAD TAKEN
THE ROLE OF A SEMI-OFFICIAL DPRK REPRESENTATIVE IN JAPAN,
AND THAT THE JAPANESE CABINET RESEARCH OFFICE HAD BEGUN
MEETING WITH CHOSEN SOREN OFFICIALS.
LANEY