Jo Yong-won
Jo Yong-won is a North Korean politician. He is the chairman of the Inspection Commission of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, a vice director of the party's Organization and Guidance Department, and a deputy chief of the Personal Secretariat of Kim Jong-un. Jo has been a full member of the 7th Central Committee of the WPK since it was elected at the 7th Congress of the WPK in May 2016.
Jo is a confidant of the country's leader, Kim Jong-un, and accompanies him often on guidance tours, mostly in relation to economy. In 2016 he was the most frequent member of Kim's entourage. Jo is believed to be Kim Jong-un's Personal Action Officer within the OGD. According to Oliver Hotham of NK News, Jo, "once described as a 'rising star' of DPRK politics remains one of the country's most important officials". Jo is often featured in North Korean media; in 2018 his name was mentioned more often than that of any other official except Kim Jong-un. The United States Department of the Treasury has sanctioned Jo for his involvement in the censorship activities of the OGD.
