NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A001300840005-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 29, 2002
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: June 3, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2002/07/15 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA001300840005-0
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
SECURITYCIiVFORMAT;ON
COUNTRY Korea
SUBJECT North Korean Government Officials
25X1A
25X1X
SOURCE:
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.B. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
REPORT NO.
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
REQUIREMENT NO.
REFERENCES
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
25X1A
3 June 1953
325X1A
The following is a list of some of the high-level officials of the North Korean
Government. Included in the list are the positions these officials held in the
government in mid-February 1953 and background information.
1. CHANG Si-u (1728/2514/7183), Minister of Trade. CHANG served as Minister of
Commerce from September 1948 to November 1952. In November 1952 the Bureau
of Trade was separated from the Ministry of Commerce and established as a new
ministry with CHANG as its head.
2. CH'OE Chlangmik (1508/2490/4135), Vice-Premier. CHIOE was appointed Minister
of Finance when the People's Republic of North Korea was established'in
September 1948. He held the position until 17 November 1952, at which time
he was made a vice-premier by the decision of the Standing Committee of the
Supreme People's Council.
CH?OE Yong-k^n (1508/1661/0256), Minister of National Defense. CH'OE has held
this position since the establishment of the North Korean Government in
September 1948. He was given the rank of a general by a decision of the
Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Council on 7 February 1953, the
same time that KIM Il-song was given the rank of Marshal.
4. CHANG Chun-t'aek (677+/3294/3419), Chairman of the National Planning Commission.
CHANG has held this position since the establishment of the North Korean
Government in 1918.1
5. CHANG Il-yong (6774/0001/7893),9 Vice-Premier. Before the end of World War II,
CHANG was a laborer in the Hungnam Fertilizer Plant. In August 1945 he was
appointed manager of the Munp'yong Refinery., and early in 1947 was made vice-
chief of the Bureau of Industry of the North Korean People's Committee. When
,the North Korean Government was established in 1948, CH NG was appointed Vice-
Minister of the Ministry of Industry,, and upon the death of Minister KIM
Chlaek (6855/4595) in February 1951, CHANG became Minister of Industry. When
SECRET
STATEE'yj X ARMY X NAVY AIR X FBI
COMNAVS- F PHI PACFLT ? CINC F 5 RYCO ;
(Note: Washington Distribution Indicated By "X"; Field Distribution By "#".)
Approved For Release 2002/07/15 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA0013
25X1
 Approved For Release 2002/07/15: CIA-RDP80-00810A0013008400Q,Q1 A
SECRET
-2-
25X1A
When the Ministry o n.us y was
divided into the Ministries of Light and Heavy Industry in December 1951,
CH6NG became Minister of Heavy Industry. On 17 November 1952 he was made one
of the five vice-premiers by a decision of the Standing Committee.of the
Supreme People?s Council. He acquired supervisory responsibility for the
Ministry of Heavy Industry, the Ministry of Light Industry, the Ministry of
Chemistry and Construction Materials, the Ministry of Railway Transportation
and the Electric Power Department of the North Korean Cabinet. CHONG was
regarded as a trusted favorite by his colleagues and by KIM Il-song.
6. Ho Chong-suk (6079/6297/3219), Minister of Culture and Propaganda. HO, a
25X1A
8. HONGMyong-hui (3163/0730/3556), Vice-Premier. HONG has held the position of
vice premier since September 1948.
9. EWANG To-yon (7806/6670/8673), Chief of the Statistics Department of the North
Korean Cabinet. HWANG was appointed to this position in November 1951. Prior
to. this date he was chief of the Economic Planning Office of the Ministry of
Industry.
10. KIM I1-song, Premier, Supreme Commander of the North Korean Army,. Chairmani of
the Military Commission, dlnd Chairman of the North )Crean Central Le.bor Party.
On 7 February 1953-KIM I1-song was appointed to the rank of 'Marshal by a
decision of the Standing-Committee of the Supreme People1s Council. Before the
appointment KIM was a civilian.
il. KIM Tu-sam (6855/2435/0005), Minister of Heavy Industry. KIM was vice-chairman
of the National Planning Committee until his appointment as Minister of Heavy
Industry on 17 November 1952 to succeed CHONG Il-yong.
12. KIM Won-pong (6855/0337/7685), Minister of Labor, KIM was appointed Minister
of Labor in January 1952. His previous position was as Minister of National
Inspection.
woman, has been in this position since the establishment of the North Korean
Government in 1948. In February 1953 she was very unpopular among North
Ko e
Ho Ka-i (6079/0668/3976), Vice-Premier. Prior to November 1952, HO. was
responsible for the Ministry of Heavy Industry, the Ministry of Light Indt.stry,
the Ministry of Chemistry and Construction Materials, the Ministry of Railways,
and the Electric Power Department of the North Korean Cabinet. When. KIM Ch'aek
died in February 1951, HO was appointed a vice-premier and Minister of
Industry (B-5)2 When the Ministry of Industry was divided into the Ministry of
Heavy Industry and the Ministry of Light Industry, HO continued as avice-
premier with responsibility for these ministries. On 17 November 1952 CHgNG
11-yong was made a vice-premier and assumed HMS's ministry responsibilities.
HAS kept his post as a vice-premier.
Approved For Release 2002/07/15 : CIA-RDP80-00810A001300840005-0
 Approved For Release 2002/07/15 CIA-RDP80-00810A001300840005-0
SECRET
-3-
25X1A
13. PAEK Hong-kon (4101/7703/0256), Minister of Chemistry and Construction Materials.
PAEK served as Vice-Minister of Heavy Industry until his appointment as Minister
of Chemistry and Construction Materials when this ministry was created in May
1952.
14.
PAEK Nam-un (4101/0589/7189), Minister of Education. PAEK has held
since 1948.
this post
15.
PAK Hon-yong (2613/2009/3057), Vice-Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
PAK has held these positions since September 1948.3
16.
PAK Mun-kyu (2613/2429/1145), Minister of Agriculture. PAK has held
this post
since 1948.
17. PANG Hak-se (2455/1331/0013), Minister of Internal Affairs. When the Ministry
of Social Security was established in 1950, PANG was appointed Minister and
held this post until this ministry and the Ministry of Internal Affairs were
merged in November 1952. At that time PANG became Minister of Internal Affairs.
18, YI Chong. k (2621/6945/2485), Minister of Light Industry. YI was the manager
of the Ch'ongjin Textile Factory from 1949 until the establishment of the
Ministry of Light Industry in January 1952, at which time he was appointed
Minister.
19. YI Kuk-no (2621/034+/7627), Minister without Portfolio. YI, who was also the
chairman of the Korean Language Association, has held the position of Minister
without Portfolio since 1948.
20. YI Pyong-nam (2621/3521/0589), Minister of Public Health. YI has held this
position since 1948.
21. YI S ng-yop (2621/2573/9756), Chairman of the People's Inspection Committee.
YI was Minister of Justice at the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950.
He was appointed mayor of Seoul on 28 June 1950 when the North Korean Army
occupied the city. In October 1952 the Ministry of National Inspection was
reformed and YI became chairman of the People's Inspection Committee.
22. YUN Hong-kum (1438/ t / Y ), Minister of Finance. YUN was chairman of the
Pyongyang City Labor Party until he succeeded CH'OE Chang-ik as Minister of
Finance when CH'OE was promoted to Vice-Premier on 17 November 1952.
25X1A Comment. KIM Chong-chu (6855/1694/2691) headed the Ministry of
Communications until he was killed in an air raid on Pyongyang on 27
25X1A January 1953. Up to 11 February his successor had not been appointed.
Comment. he same source reported the name of the
25X1A n s er o -Comm unica ions as NG Song-chu (6774/2052/2621) instead of as
25X1A the above. `the same report gave. KIM Chong-tu (6855/2973/
2435) as Minister o Communications in January 1953. Information available
to this office indicates that KIM Chong-chu is the correct name. 25X1A
25X1A 1. Comment. CHoNG Chun-t'aek (6774/0193/3419) was Minister of Communica-
ons in August 1952, according to a fairly reliable source. imF
2 5X1A 2. omment. This biographical material on H6 Ka-i is contradicted by the
biography on CHONG I1-yong appearing in paragraph 5 of this report.
25X1A 3< Comment. PAK's name has been missing from North Korean news
dispatches since March 1953. Radio Pyongyang listed YI Tong-kun as acting
Foreign Minister on 19 May 1953.
Approved For Release 2002/07/15 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA001300840005-0