Organization and Guidance Department
Logo of the Workers' Party of Korea
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 15 September 1948 |
| Preceding agency | |
| Jurisdiction | Party, state and military |
| Headquarters | Pyongyang, North Korea |
| Agency executives |
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| Parent agency | Central Committee |
The Organization and Guidance Department (OGD) is an agency of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). Its main responsibility is to "completely implement the teaching and decisions of the Suryeong [Great Leader]," former President Kim Il-sung. The department was initially a division within the WPK General Affairs Department, but eventually spun off and was established at the 3rd Plenary Session of the 2nd Central Committee as the Organization Committee.
According to North Korean defector Jang Jin-sung, the OGD is "the only entity that actually matters when it comes to decision-making or policy-making" and reflects the structure of the government. North Korean specialist Nicolas Levi refers to the OGD as "The heart of the North Korean system".
Hwang Jang-yop, another high-ranking defector, stated that the leading figures of North Korea belong to the OGD. Its officials regularly accompany the Supreme Leader during inspections and field guidance appearances. Some of its powers were given to the WPK Administrative Department (AD), in a bid to weaken the influence of those working in the OGD. However, with the execution of Jang Song-thaek, the AD Head, the AD itself was abolished not long after in February 2014. There are those, most prominently the defector Jang Jin-sung, who currently argue that the leaders of the OGD are the real leaders of North Korea, and that Kim Jong-un is a puppet. He argues that Hwang Pyong-so, the First Deputy Head of the OGD, through his post as Director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army, is the real ruler of the country because (Jang believes) he controls the appointments and dismissals of military officers. He concludes that Kim Jong-un will remain a puppet as long as Kim Jong-il's old proteges still control the OGD. Michael Madden of the North Korea Leadership Watch disagrees, claiming instead that the OGD implements the directives of the Supreme Leader, and is not powerful enough to introduce directives itself.
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Wikipedia