North Korea has decided to expand the role of the General Reconnaissance Bureau, which is in charge of collecting intelligence and conducting operations against the South and overseas. As it strengthens military intelligence and reconnaissance functions, related organizational reshuffles and personnel moves are likely to follow.
Korean Central News Agency reported on the 10th that the first enlarged meeting of the ninth Central Military Commission of the Labor Party was held the previous day with Kim Jong-un attending.
According to the report, tasks and implementation plans were presented to "expand the functions and missions of the General Reconnaissance Bureau in various ways and drastically enhance the bureau's military reconnaissance and intelligence capabilities."
The General Reconnaissance Bureau is known as an expanded and reorganized body based on the previous Reconnaissance General Bureau under the General Staff of the People's Army. North Korea described the agency as "key to managing the threats posed by potential adversaries and collecting critical information." However, it did not disclose specifics on how the General Reconnaissance Bureau's functions would be expanded.
At the meeting, "organizational issues regarding the dismissal, adjustment, and new appointments of key commanding members of the People's Army's main posts were addressed," the report said. Accordingly, adjustments to internal military posts, including in the reconnaissance and intelligence sectors, and follow-up personnel changes are expected.
The meeting also discussed ways to raise the overall combat readiness of the military. The report said the agenda covered an "important political and military task to increase the political-ideological and military-technical might of the People's Army and bring about qualitative changes in strengthening combat readiness at all levels across the entire military."
At the meeting, Kim signed seven orders related to "major military measures." He emphasized, "The national prestige and system of socialist Joseon, and its survival, cannot be conceived apart from powerful military strength," adding, "Transforming (the military) into an invincible, ever-victorious armed force is our party's unwavering policy for building a strong military."
He went on to say that "alongside defending socialism, the People's Army must continue to play a leading and central role in the struggle for the comprehensive development of the state," and added, "We must thoroughly make the People's Army more militarized and modernized and improve its real combat capabilities."
Strengthening nuclear forces and modernizing military infrastructure were also on the agenda. The report said discussions covered "plans to update the technological infrastructure of combat systems, expand and strengthen nuclear forces in both quality and quantity, and standardize, specialize, and modernize military bases in a forward-looking manner."
In addition, the report added that the meeting addressed the construction of modern naval bases, the expansion of capacity and technological upgrading projects at shipyards at all levels, and the confirmation of tasks related to redevelopment projects in coal-mining districts nationwide.