Seven Suspicions Surrounding the Rumors of

“Kim Hyuk-chol’s Execution” and “Kim Yong-chol’s Labor”

No. 2019-18 (June 3, 2019)

Dr. Cheong Seong-Chang

Vice President for Research Planning, the Sejong Institute

softpower@sejong.org

Recently, a South Korean media reported that North Korea executed Kim Hyuk-chol, a special representative for the U.S. of the State Affairs Commission (SAC) who was in charge of working-level negotiations until the Hanoi Summit, and other officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, holding them responsible for the collapse of the Summit. According to this media, Kim Hyuk-chol was executed at Mirim Airport after being investigated along with four officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in March, and they were charged with spying for the U.S. that “they were won over to the U.S. and betrayed Suryong.” The media also reported Kim Yong-chol, the head of the United Front Department who was in charge of negotiations with the U.S. until the Hanoi Summit, was sentenced to “forced labor” in Jagangdo after being dismissed. And Kim Song-hye, the head of the Secretarial Bureau of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland who was in charge of working-level negotiations along with Kim Hyuk-chol, was sent to a political prison camp.

However, such reports are hard to be true. The reasons for this judgment are as follows.

First, there is relatively reliable information that Kim Hyuk-chol who was speculated to be executed in March was in fact witnessed on April 13. If the information is accurate, Kim Hyuk-chol is expected to appear in public after a certain period of time.

Second, it would be unjust that working-level officials like Kim Hyuk-chol and Kim Song-hye were executed or sent to political prison camp, while Kim Yong-chol who was in charge of entire negotiation on North Korea’s denuclearization until Hanoi Summit was only sentenced to forced labor. Also, if Kim Jong-un blamed officials for the collapse of the talks and forced them to labor, executed them or sent them to political prison camp, no other officials will attempt to engage in external negotiation in the future. It is why Kim Jong-un was unlikely to issue such harsh punishment unless he intends to give up on negotiations with the U.S.

Third, since Ganggun General Military Academy has always been used to execute high-level officials and Mirim Airport has never been used for such occasion, the claim that North Korean leadership executed Kim Hyuk-chol at Mirim Airport is not persuasive. Also, previously North Korean leadership collected dozens to hundreds of executives and carried out executions as an example in front of the crowd. In such case, information usually reaches Seoul within a few weeks through humint. Thus, Seoul would have known Kim Hyuk-chol’s execution in March by the end of May if it really had happened.

Fourth, if Kim Jong-un executed Kim Hyuk-chol in March holding him responsible for the collapse of the Hanoi Summit, there is no reason for Chairman Kim to retain Kim Yong-chol as vice chairman of the DPRK Central Committee of the Workers’ Party (WPKCC) and reappoint him as a member of SAC and of the Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA) at the first session of the 14th SPA on April 11. Kim Yong-chol also attended an expanded meeting of WPKCC Political Bureau on April 9 and took commemorative photos with new members of SAC and Kim Jong-un. Thus, it is hard to say that Kim Yong-chol was disgraced and subjected to “forced labor” even though he lost his position as the head of the United Front Department and failed to accompany Kim Jong-un on his visit to Russia.

Regarding Kim Yong-chol’s absence from public view after the first session of the 14th SPA, there is reliable information that Kim Yong-chol received treatment at Bonghwa Clinic to remove malignant tumor. His appearance with Kim Jong-un at the Military Family Modeling Art Concert on June 2 is believed to be aimed at getting rid of rumor about “Kim Yong-chol’s labor” in South Korea. In the past, a certain North Korean figure was never allowed to resurface in public despite the South Korean media falsely reported him or her being executed or undergoing revolutionary steps. If the revolutionary steps were taken against Kim Yong-chol, there is no chance that he would have reappeared into public view to present him against South Korean media reports.

Fifth, the problematic media previousl reported Kim Yo-jong, Kim Jong-un’s younger sister, has been in “probation” since the Hanoi Summit, but it has been already confirmed that Kim Yo-jong attended at an expanded meeting of WPKCC Political Bureau on April 9 as the first vice director. Thus, the rumor of Kim Yo-jong who was not directly responsible for the collapse of the Summit is groundless. Rather, intelligence that Kim Yo-jong has been taking a rest for her health condition is more persuasive.

Sixth, the media that reported the rumor of Kim Hyuk-chol’s execution pointed out the phrase, “Anti-party, anti-revolutionary behavior” and “A stern judgement of the revolution,” which appeared in the editorial of Rodong Sinmun on April 30 and also referred to the analysis of a government-run think tank that “a massive blood purge of officials involved in the Hanoi Summit is underway.” However, the responsibility for the collapse of the Summit has no relations with “anti-revolutionary behavior.”

Seventh, if Kim Jong-un were to blame someone for the collapse of the Hanoi Summit, Minister of Foreign Affair Ri Yong-ho who participated in the Summit and the top North Korean diplomat Choe Son-hui who conducted a joint meeting with Stephen Biegun, U.S. Special Representative for North Korea, in January 2019 at Stockholm cannot be entirely innocent. In regard to the U.S. administration’s stance on North Korea, Ri Yong-ho and Choe Son-hui should have had more information than Kim Yong-chol. However, the positions of Ri Yong-ho and Choe Son-hui have been strengthened since the collapse of the Hanoi Summit.

If Kim Jong-un is an unreasonable and vicious leader who would force or execute officials by holding them accountable for the collapse of the Hanoi Summit, he should have blamed Ri Yong-ho and Choe Son-hui as well. On the contrary, the enhanced positions of Ri Yong-ho and Choe Son-hui after the Summit can rather be attributed to Kim Jong-un’s decision about relying on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs line instead of Kim Yong-chol’s United Front Department for negotiations with the U.S.

On August 29, 2013, one South Korean media reported that top North Korean singer Hyon Song-wol and the leader of the Unhasu Orchestra Moon Kyung-jin were arrested and executed three days later for violating a Kim Jong-un’s order “not to watch sexual contents.” However, Hyon Song-wol was confirmed to be alive through the Korean Central Television in May 2014, and he even accompanied Chairman Kim on field guidance recently, exhibiting his enhanced status.

It is clear that Kim Jong-un is relying on execution and reign of terror to consolidate his absolute power. On the other hand, many of North Korean officials who have been alleged to be executed since Kim Jong-un’s inauguration by the South Korean media were revealed that in fact they were temporarily demoted, transferred to other posts or found to be alive.

Therefore, it is not desirable to draw hasty conclusion that certain North Korean figures have been executed simply because they do not appear in public for a certain period by depending on unreliable “North Korea sources.” Such irresponsible and hasty presumption report about uncertain rumors of North Korea will not only cause damage to journalists who made related reports but also raise concern over the reliability of South Korean media.