Office 39: North Korea's illicit, secretive location that funds Kim Jong-Un's luxurious life

A a retired US Army Special Forces colonel and North Korea expert has revealed that North Korean President Kim Jong-Un has been using the government building in the nation's capital for illegal activities.

David Maxwell, the retired US Army Special Forces colonel, stated that the North Korean leader's lavish expenses comes from the earnings made through operations conducted in 'Office 39'. "Where do you think Kim gets his cognacs, Mercedes and Rolex watches?", he asked.

In the specified office located in the government building, activities like drugs manufacturing and trafficking, counterfeiting, gold smuggling, arms dealing, and slave labor are managed and sponsored.

Maxwell elaborated that the organisation is useful considering that the country is limited by sanctions.

Sean King, an Asia specialist at Park Strategies in New York, said that Kim Jong Un's family worked like a "crime family masquerading as the leaders of a country". 

According to reports, Kim’s late father Kim Jong-Il had launched Office 39 in 1974, and Kim Jong-un’s sister Kim Yo-jong's husband Choe Song is touted to be a Room 39 official or works for a military unit guarding his brother-in-law. 

Meanwhile, South Korea is keeping a close eye on the North Korean army activities on Pyongyang's plan to send propaganda leaflets across the border while leaving open all response options, including military action, as per Yonhap news agency.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), earlier in the day, had claimed that North Korea reportedly printed 12 million leaflets in intentions to distribute them in South Korea as part of their information campaign against Seoul.

Special equipment will be made in attempts to spread the leaflets, including over 3,000 air balloons of various types, according to KCNA's report, adding that printing houses in North Korea are working in preparations for the printing of an additional several million more leaflets.

Allegedly, this is in retaliation to Seoul's failure to stop defectors from sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets.