Reconnaissance General Bureau

Reconnaissance General Bureau
정찰총국
Intelligence agency overview
Formed2009
Preceding Intelligence agency
EmployeesClassified
Annual budgetClassified
Minister responsible
  • Classified, Colonel
Parent departmentGeneral Staff Department of the Korean People's Army (partially)
정찰총국
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationJeongchal Chongguk
McCune–ReischauerChŏngch'al Ch'ongguk

The Reconnaissance General Bureau (Korean: 정찰총국; RGB), part of the General Staff Department, is a North Korean intelligence agency that manages the state's clandestine operations.[1] Most of their operations have a specific focus on Japan, South Korea, and the United States.[2] It was established in 2009.[2][3]

The RGB is regarded as North Korea's primary intelligence and clandestine operations organ.[4] Although its original missions have traditionally focused on clandestine operations such as commando raids, infiltrations and disruptions, the RGB has since come to control most of the known North Korean cyber capabilities, mainly under Bureau 121 or its speculated successor, the Cyber Warfare Guidance Bureau.[4]

It was headed at one time by Kim Yong-chol as the first head of the RGB.[5][6]

  1. ^ Lankov, Andrei (1 May 2017). "On the Great Leader's Secret Service: North Korea's intelligence agencies". NK News. Korea Risk Group. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Kim Jong-nam: Who in North Korea could organise a VX murder?". BBC News. 24 February 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  3. ^ Jun, Jenny; LaFoy, Scott; Sohn, Ethan (2015). North Korea's Cyber Operations: Strategy and Responses. Center for Strategic and International Studies report. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-4422-5903-4.
  4. ^ a b "North Korea's Cyber Operations: Strategy and Responses" (PDF). Center for Strategic and International Studies. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 October 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  5. ^ "North Korea Is Sending Military Hardliner Kim Yong Chol to the Olympic Closing Ceremony. Here's What to Know". Time. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  6. ^ "N Korea to send general to Olympics". BBC News. 22 February 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018.