By Lee Jin-woo
Staff Reporter

A reshuffle of key government and military officials has been carried out by North Korean leader Kim Jong-il since 1994 that includes many pragmatist figures, according to a government report yesterday.

According to the report, 26 of the 63-year-old leader’s top 30 aides had been replaced since the death of his father, Kim Il-sung, in 1994.

The four retained are Kim Kuk-thae, secretary for cadre affairs of the Worker’s Party; Kim Jung-rin, secretary for labor organization of the party; O Kuk-ryol, director of operations of the party, and Kang Sok-ju, first vice foreign minister.

The report, compiled last month, included 10 political figures such as Kim Yong-nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly and nine military officers such as Jo Myong-rok, first vice chairman of the National Defense Commission.

Also contained in the report were three economic experts, including Premier Park Pong-ju, and four diplomatic figures including Choe Thae-bok, secretary for international affairs of the party, as well as four officials in charge of South Korean affairs including Kang Kwan-ju, director of the external liason department of the party.

Economic officials, who have been in charge of economic reform measures with capitalistic experiments, have emerged as power elite especially since the historic inter-Korean summit in June 2000.

The report seems to reflect Kim’s pragmatic approach as more capable officials with practical attitude are included on the list than that of his father’s era, experts said.

Of the 30, 13 graduated from Kim Il-sung University in Pyongyang and eight, including Yon Hyong-muk, vice chairman of the National Defense Commission, studied overseas.

By region, Hamkyong Provinces topped with nine out of 25 officials. The birthplaces of the remaining five officials were not available in the report.

The average age stood at 71 with only two officials in their 40s and 50s. Choe Sung-chol, 49, vice chairman of the Asia Pacific Peace Committee, was the youngest. Choe has frequently attended inter-Korean talks since 2000.

things@koreatimes.co.kr