North Korea Space Agencies
North Korea does not have a space agency equivalent to NASA in the United States or the European Space Agency in Europe. However, the country does have organizations and institutions that oversee its space and missile activities. Information about these organizations is often limited and shrouded in secrecy.
One organization that has been cited in relation to North Korea's space activities is the National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA). NADA was publicly unveiled in 2013 and is said to be responsible for the country's space program, including satellite launches. The organization's emblem even resembles that of NASA, the United States' space agency. NADA has announced various plans and activities related to space, although verification of these claims is often not possible.
Another entity that plays a role in North Korea's space and missile programs is the Second Academy of Natural Sciences, which is thought to be involved in research and development of technologies for both civilian and military applications.
The Korean People’s Army Strategic Rocket Forces is the branch of the military generally believed to be responsible for ballistic missiles, and likely overlaps with rocket technology used in any space endeavors. It's also worth noting that the space program has received direct attention from North Korean leaders, suggesting that it is considered a high-priority national project.
Due to the potential dual-use nature of space technology—that is, technology that could be used both for civilian and military applications—North Korea's space activities are subject to international scrutiny and sanctions. Given the secretive nature of the North Korean government, it's challenging to provide a comprehensive picture of their space-related agencies, or to verify claims made by these organizations.
DPRK National Space Agency
State Space Development Bureau
© By Charles P. Vick (All Rights Reserved)
DPRK State Space Development Bureau
The DPRK Space Agency was established in 2009 under the late Kim Jong-Il's Directive. Not until April 1, 2013 did the DPRK decide to establish the State Space Development Bureau as confirmed by the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA).
" To step up economic construction and improve the people's standard of living by radically developing the space science and technology of the country and guide and manage all the space activities of the DPRK in a uniform way, the SPA decides as follows:
- The DPRK State Space Development Bureau shall be set up.
- The bureau is a state central institution which guides and manages the supervision and control over the working out of a space development program and its implementation and space development work in a uniform way.
- The Cabinet of the DPRK and other institutions concerned shall take practical measures to implement this decision." (7)
North Korea’s Space, Ballistic Missile Administration, Leadership Structures
The ascendancy of Kim Jong-Un as Marshall and Supreme Leader after his father Kim Jung-Il's death caused a major changes in the Government leadership through 2013. There was apparently military insubordination involved in the military side of the government. This was in addition to ministerial replacements due to failures and other issues.
North Korea’s space launch infrastructure facility are well know but until recently as noted below its space administrative infrastructure was undefined. Today in spite of these meager details it must be assumed to be an extension of the authoritarian dynastic (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea), DPRK government, military missile industry infrastructure of the ministry of the Korean Peoples Armed Forces (PAF) organization. They in turn all operate under same roof central government employer under the same overall fiscal, Five Year Plan, State Planning directives. (7)
On the State Organs side government we see the Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Kim Jong-Un with the Party Secretary of the Weapons Industry is known to be Pak To-Chun. The real brains behind the Machine Building Industry Department in the ruling Worker's Party [WPK] is (CMC) member Ju Kyu-Chang 1st. Vice Director of the Defense Industry and a member of the National Defense Commission (NDC) [The equivalent of the late minister Afanisiev of the former USSR space and ballistic missile program]. Ju Kyu-Chang spearheaded the ballistic missile and Taep'o-dong series of space launch vehicle developments. He was most recently seen talking with Kim Jung-Un during the the July 27, 2013 sixtieth anniversary military parade. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
On the political side headed by of the government the Political Bureau's member Jon Pyong-Ho, is Secretary of Military Industries [The equivalent of the late minister Ustinov of the former USSR]. Under the leadership of Paek Se-Bong are both Ju Kyu-Chang and Jon Pyong-Ho are on the Second Economic Committee of the DPRK military Hierarch side of the government. First Vice Minister of PAF Jon Chang-bok, Defense Minister PAF and Vice Marshall Jang Jong-Nam member of the central National Defense Commission, Vice Marshall Hyon Yong-Chol Chief of the General Staff of the PAF a standing member of the Party's Politburo part of the ruling WPK Central Committee. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
The ruling Workers Party side of the house leads to the central committee and the Central Military Commission both of which are Vice Chaired by Kim Jong-Un. The ministries and leadership formations seem to some what mimic the former USSR arrangements but not completely with a much more direct down chain of command reality. (1, 2, 3, 4)
