Name   Kim Tong-on Sex   Male Date of Birth   November 1, 1935 Place of Birth   Ryanggang Province Posts Held 39th section chief of the Central Committee of the Korean Workers’ Party, chairman of the Taesong Economic Group Claim to Fame Korean Workers’ Party cadre, foreign currency earner Education Chongjin Mine University Profile Kim Tong-on is the leader of the 39th section of the Central Committee of the Korean Worker’s Party, a post equal to first deputy chief. The section began as a branch of the party’s finance and accounting bureau in 1976. Supervising the earning of foreign currency, the section became an independent office in 1988. The trading of gold, rabbit skins and mushrooms is its main business, but rumors say the office also sells opium poppies used to make heroin. Kim took over the Harvest Industries Committee of the State Administration Council in 1982. He was named deputy chief of the 39th section in 1988 and deputy chief of the finance bureau in 1991. He was later promoted to section chief. While deputy chief of the finance bureau, he went to Japan as vice chairman of the Taesong Economic Group and to Italy as senior councilor of the State Administration Council. He visited Italy again in 1994 to discuss buying a food processing plant. Due to nature of his work, his business is done behind closed doors. He normally does not appear at official events, but accompanies supreme leader Kim Jong-il on rare occasions.

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