US embassy cable - 94SEOUL8139

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