Truth of the Recent Controversial Document on North Korea

A document on North Korea has recently aroused controversy over its legitimacy. According to the document, Kim Jong Il, chairman of the National Defense Commission of North Korea, said that South Korea would provide food aid in the case of a war breaking out after the North’s nuclear tests, and directed the punishment of 13 officials in the Ministry of Agriculture for falsely reporting food production with the decision of the Workers Party’s Secretariat.

The paper, released by Nam Seong-wook, professor of the Department of North Korean Studies of Korea University, contains what Kim Jong Il told directly to Kim Ik Hyeon, general director of arms procurement, on October 18. It states that the food reserved for war should not be distributed to North Koreans since they can live on their own, and that South Korea would eventually supply food while other countries don’t plan to do so.

However, according to the Ministry of Unification’s report “North Korea’s Figures,” Kim Ik Hyeon assisted Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il’s late father, in his partisan struggle. The report stated he was born in 1916, is 90 years old, and in effect has left office. It also said his post as the central military commissioner is just honorary. Therefore, the ministry assumes that the general director of arms procurement of North Korea is actually Lee Jong San, 84.

The related South Korean authorities speculate that the controversial document was not published by Pyongyang but forged by defectors or citizens from North Korea for money.

taewon_ha@donga.com