North Korea’s 9th Workers’ Party Congress elected new leadership for the Central Committee to guide the party over the next five years. On Wednesday, speculation arose that Jang Geum-cheol, who previously headed the United Front Department during the demolition of the inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong, might be reappointed to oversee South Korea-related policies.
On Tuesday, North Korea’s state-run Korean Central Television reported that a Sectoral Research and Consultation Meeting took place on the fifth day of the Congress, which occurred on Monday. The broadcast showed a scene from the Foreign Affairs Sector Consultation Meeting, where Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui sat at the far right of the main stage, while Kim Song-nam, the party’s international secretary and head of the International Department, occupied the center. These individuals have been responsible for North Korea’s foreign affairs within the party and the cabinet respectively.
The person seated on the far left is presumed to be Jang, who was elected as a Central Committee member during this party congress. Although North Korea did not confirm Jang’s attendance at the Foreign Affairs Sector Consultation Meeting, the South Korean government believes that various circumstances strongly suggest he is the individual in question.
Jang ascended to the position of head of the United Front Department on April 10, 2019, during the 4th Plenary Meeting of the 7th Party Congress, succeeding Kim Yong-chol. The United Front Department previously oversaw strategies and tactics related to South Korea, including inter-Korean talks, economic cooperation, and intelligence gathering on South Korea. Currently, it has been restructured into the 10th Department of the Central Committee, focusing primarily on psychological warfare, in line with North Korea’s two-state policy.
During his tenure as head of the United Front Department, Jang rarely engaged in public activities. He made his first public appearance on June 30, 2019, during the historic meeting of the leaders of the U.S., South Korea, and North Korea at the Joint Security Area (JSA) in Panmunjom. However, details about his activities remain largely unknown.
On June 13, 2020, Jang issued a statement declaring that trust in the South Korean government had been shattered due to its actions regarding anti-North Korean leaflets. He expressed doubt about the possibility of improving inter-Korean relations.
Just a few days later, on June 17, when North Korea demolished the inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong, Jang released another statement declaring that North Korea would no longer engage with South Korea. This aggressive stance clearly indicated that inter-Korean relations had reached a breaking point.
If Jang indeed participated in the recent meeting on South Korea-related affairs, he is expected to play a significant role in managing North Korea’s dealings with South Korea moving forward. Veteran officials known as South Korea experts, such as Kim Yong-chol, an advisor to the 10th Department, and Ri Son-gwon, the former deputy head of the 10th Department, have stepped back from frontline roles during this party congress. This creates a gap that Jang is likely to fill.
There is particular interest in whether Jang has been appointed to the deputy head position of the 10th Department, which Ri Son-gwon vacated. However, his name has not appeared on the list of newly appointed department heads. This has led to speculation that he may have joined the foreign affairs team as a staff member rather than as a department head. Some analysts also suggest that the 10th Department may have been entirely removed from the party’s specialized departments.
Some experts speculate that Kim Yo-jong, who has recently been appointed as a new department head, may lead a new department overseeing foreign policy, including inter-Korean and North Korea-U.S. relations. In this scenario, Jang could handle the operational aspects of these policies.
Experts are closely monitoring Jang’s past experiences and North Korea’s current stance of severing ties with South Korea. They are considering the possibility that he may be tasked with solidifying the hostile two-state policy.
Professor Lim Eum-chul from Kyungnam University’s Institute for East Asian Studies predicted that although Jang has previously handled inter-Korean civilian exchanges, given the current situation, he is likely to take on a role in shaping strategies related to the hostile two-state concept.