"Did Kim Eo-jun Appear on the Broadcast?" Park Ji-won, Director of the National Intelligence Service, Repeatedly Used Provocative Terms

NIS Reports "North Korea's Kim Yo-jong Delegates National Governance"
Terms Like 'Governance Stress', 'Second-in-Command', 'Successor' Also Used
Experts Say "Misleading... Evokes Kim Jong-un's Incapacitation"

Park Ji-won, Director of the National Intelligence Service, is attending the 'Power Agency Reform Consultation for the People' held at the National Assembly on the 30th of last month. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

On the 20th, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported to the National Assembly that "North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un is delegating power to his close aides and practicing 'delegated governance'." This has sparked growing criticism that the NIS recklessly used inappropriate terms, causing unnecessary misunderstandings and controversies. There are also claims that this reflects the character of Director Park Ji-won, who, during his political career, always directly engaged with issues, leading to what is called the 'Park Ji-won risk.'

During a closed briefing at the Intelligence Committee of the National Assembly, the NIS stated that Kim Jong-un is practicing 'delegated governance' by entrusting power to some close aides, including his younger sister Kim Yo-jong, the First Deputy Director of the North Korean Workers' Party. The term 'delegated governance' quickly spread through the media, raising suspicions. The NIS also used the expression 'governance stress' to explain the reason for this delegation. This description is difficult to perceive without close observation or direct communication with Chairman Kim. Moreover, the NIS-originated news on that day was filled with dramatic and provocative terms such as 'number two' and 'successor.' Critics point out that the NIS, whose motto is 'Silent Devotion,' ironically stirred up the commotion.

This is evaluated to be closely related to the characteristics of the newly appointed Director Park Ji-won. Professor Kim Geun-sik of Gyeongnam National University said, "Director Park used provocative terms to attract media attention upon his debut at the NIS." He added, "Since coming to power, Kim Jong-un has gradually decentralized authority as part of normalizing the state, which has been a fact for some time. However, the NIS suddenly mentioned 'delegated governance,' evoking images of an emergency situation involving Kim Jong-un and inciting public anxiety."

An anonymous North Korea expert said, "The term 'delegated governance' appears to be a creation of the NIS, which is misleading," and added, "It seems to reflect Director Park's pro-media personality." Another expert said, "It seems (Director Park) expressed himself as if boasting on Kim Eo-jun's broadcast," and commented, "Such expressions are inappropriate for the head of the nation's top intelligence agency."

National Intelligence Service

Director Park has actively voiced his opinions on current issues through social networking services (SNS) during his time as a member of the National Assembly and as a private citizen, always standing at the center of issues. After being nominated as the NIS director last month, Park announced he would stop SNS activities to focus on the NIS's core mission. However, even after receiving his appointment letter from the president, Park continued SNS activities via Facebook, drawing criticism. In particular, he publicly shared his weekend plans, effectively 'self-exposing' the movements of the intelligence agency chief, and deleted the related posts after the controversy escalated.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.