N . K . likely to name new spy chief at upcoming parliamentary meeting : expert SEOUL , April 5 ( Yonhap ) -- North Korea is expected to fill the vacancy left by the dismissal of Kim Won - hong as its spy chief earlier this year during the upcoming parliamentary meeting , an expert said Wednesday . Jo Yong - won , a senior official in the ruling Workers ' Party of Korea ( WPK ) , is highly likely to become the minister of state security at the meeting of the Supreme People ' s Assembly ( SPA ) slated for April 11 , according to Cheong Seong - chang , a senior research fellow at the Sejong Institute . Jo , currently a deputy director of the Organization & Guidance Department under the ruling party , is seen as a close aide to North Korean leader Kim Jong - un as he accompanied the leader the most on his field inspections . Kim , 72 , was fired from the post of the spy chief in mid - January after a probe by the WPK found his agency had abused authority , according to Seoul ' s unification ministry . " If Jo is named the minister of state security , the move would pave the way for current or former officials from the WPK ' s Organization & Guidance Department to take key posts in the military and the intelligence agency , " Cheong said . This image captured from footage of North Korea ' s state - run TV broadcaster on Dec . 25 , 2016 , shows Jo Yong - won ( C ) , an official in the ruling Workers ' Party of Korea , who listened to instruction by North Korean leader Kim Jong - un ( R ) at a party event in Pyongyang . Jo is a deputy director of the Organization & Guidance Department under the ruling party . ( For Use Only in the Republic of Korea . No Redistribution ) ( Yonhap ) Military chief Hwang Pyong - so , widely viewed as the No . 2 man in North Korea , had assumed the first deputy director at the WPK ' s department before becoming the director of the general political bureau of the Korean People ' s Army ( KPA ) in 2014 . Other possible candidates for the spy chief include Pak Yong - sik , minister of the armed forces , and Jo Nam - jin , a senior official at the KPA ' s general political bureau , according to Cheong . The SPA , the country ' s legislative body , is the highest organ of state power under the North ' s constitution , but it actually rubber - stamps decisions by more powerful organizations , such as the WPK . At the SPA session held in June last year , ruler Kim was elected the chairman of the newly created state organ State Affairs Commission ( SAC ) , which replaced the National Defense Commission . At the upcoming meeting , North Korea is likely to change one of eight members of the SAC to fill the vacancy as former spy chief Kim doubled as a member of the new organization . Cheong said that there is a low possibility that it will change the president of the SPA Presidium , which is currently help by ceremonial leader Kim Yong - nam , 89 . " Kim Yong - nam is likely to remain in his seat as he is normally playing his part and is not seen to have health problems , " he added . This file photo shows Kim Won - hong , the former head of North Korea ' s Ministry of State Security . South Korea ' s unification ministry said on Feb . 3 , 2017 , that Kim was dismissed from the post in mid - January . ( For Use Only in the Republic of Korea . No Redistribution ) ( Yonhap ) sooyeon @ yna . co . kr ( END )