Supreme Guard Command () (also known as Unit 963, the Escort Bureau,
Guard Command, Bodyguard Command,
SGC, Guard Bureau and the General Guard Bureau) is the protective security unit tasked with the protection of North Korea's ruling
Kim family, high-ranking Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) officials, and domestic VIPs.
The current Supreme Guard commander is General
Kwak Chang-sik.
[
]
Naming
North Korea's ruling family are claimed to be superstitious and so the Command's designation number is in reference to the numerological construct "9 and 6+3=9" (double nine), the number "9" being considered lucky.
History
According to official history, the Command participated in the Korean War
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
(known in North Korea as the "Fatherland Liberation War"). The unit has also produced 72 " heroes of labor" and 28 " heroes of the Republic".
The first incarnation of the Command was created in 1946. Between 1970-mid 1990s the Command was part of the State Security Department. However, to deal with several coup attempts, Kim Jong Il reorganized the Guard by dismissing dozens of officers and expanding his own private bodyguard unit by 200 men and named it the "2.16 Unit".[
On April 27, 2018, the SGC was deployed to protect Kim Jong Un during his visit to Panmunjon.
]
Organization
The Command falls under the Korean People's Army Ground Force and is divided into approximately six departments, three combat brigades, several bodyguard divisions, and one construction battalion.[ The unit is composed of 95,000-120,000 personnel.][
Bodyguard divisions are divided into at least two sections, ''Section 1'' was dedicated to the protection of ]Kim Il Sung
Kim Il Sung (born Kim Song Ju; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he led as its first Supreme Leader (North Korean title), supreme leader from North Korea#Founding, its establishm ...
and ''Section 2'' protected Kim Jong Il
Kim Jong Il (born Yuri Kim; 16 February 1941 or 1942 – 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician who was the second Supreme Leader (North Korean title), supreme leader of North Korea from Death and state funeral of Kim Il Sung, the de ...
.[ It is unknown if ]Kim Jong Un
Kim Jong Un (born 8 January 1983 or 1984) is a North Korean politician and dictator who has served as supreme leader of North Korea since 2011 and general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012. He is the third son of Kim ...
has a new dedicated section.
The Command has camps located throughout the country, usually near official residences, and has a strong presence in Pyongyang
Pyongyang () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is sometimes labeled as the "Capital of the Revolution" (). Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. Accordi ...
. The Command also monitors key military and party figures to ensure the safety of the Kim family.[ It also coordinates with the Pyongyang Defense Command (with its 70,000 men) and ]III Corps (North Korea)
The III Corps () is a corps of the Korean People's Army
The Korean People's Army (KPA; ) encompasses the combined military forces of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). The KPA consists of five branches: th ...
for the defense of the capital and other strategic locations.
Recruitment and training
According to the testimonies of North Korean defector
People defect from North Korea for political, material, and personal reasons. Defectors flee to various countries, mainly South Korea. In South Korea, they are referred to by several terms, including "northern refugees" and "new settlers".
To ...
Lee Young-kuk, recruiters for the Guard look for new recruits in high schools where students are lined up for inspection. Physical prerequisites include no facial scars and a well-proportioned body. Potential candidates have their family histories scrutinized for party loyalty and good "songbun
''Songbun'' (), formally chulsin-songbun (, from Sino-Korean 出身, "origin" and 成分, "constituent"), is the system of ascribed status used in North Korea. According to the U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea and the American ...
". Once chosen, they are given an ID number while all other records are erased; contact with family is forbidden.Taekwondo
Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In ad ...
classes, marksmanship, 25 km marches in full gear and special operations tactics.
Commanders
*Ri Ul-sol
Ri Ul-sol (; 14 September 1921 – 7 November 2015) was a Politics of North Korea, North Korean politician and military official. He played an important role in the administrations of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, achieving the rank of Wonsu, ma ...
- 1996-2003
* Yun Jong-rin - 2003-2020
* Kwak Chang-sik (곽창식)- 2020
Known members
* Lee Young-kuk
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Guard Command, North Korea Leadership Watch
{{North Korean armed forces
Protective security units
Military units and formations of North Korea
Korean People's Army
Guards of honour