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Kim Yong-chul is a former top North Korean party official in charge of affairs with South Korea. Recently, he appointed as an advisor to the United Front Department.
Kim Yong-chul is suspected of playing key roles in cyberattacks committed by North Korea, including the hacking of Sony Pictures in 2014. The hacking of Sony Pictures was an act of cyberterrorism in response to Sony's production of a satirical movie about Kim Jong-un. However, because of this act, the movie attracted global attention, and Kim Jong-un became a laughingstock.
Kim Yong-chul is also known as the mastermind behind the sinking of the naval vessel ROKS Cheonan in 2010 and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island in the same year. He is the suspect who orchestrated the terrorist act, and North Korea has faced substantial international criticism.
Kim Yong-chul also accompanied North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to meetings with then-U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore and Vietnam. North Korea aimed to have sanctions on the North lifted through these meetings. However, the meetings ultimately failed, and Kim Jong-un returned to North Korea without achieving any concessions. One of the contributing factors to the meeting's failure was Kim Yong-chul's perceived incompetence.
Meanwhile, Kim Jong-un has attempted to appoint young and new individuals as bureaucrats, but all such efforts have been unsuccessful. The economy has grown more challenging, and North Korea remains isolated from the international community. Due to North Korea being in a significant crisis, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had no choice but to rehire Kim Yong-chul.
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