It has been suggested that an anonymous man close to Kim Jong Eun during yesterday’s central memorial ceremony for Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang was the director of the Missile Development Research Institute, the military-industrial agency under the Second Economic Commission that is said to have led the development of the carrier rocket that launched ‘Gwangmyungsung-3’ last Wednesday.

One senior defector explained why to Daily NK today, saying, “When there has been a major state event in the past, they have positioned those officials who have done a good job of implementing state objectives with the supreme leader. Given that the launch is being promoted as the biggest success of the year, so the chances of his being the man who made that happen are pretty high.”

“North Korea’s missile development is usually done by the Missile Development Research Institute, which is under the Second Economic Commission, so the director of that appeared,” the defector continued, adding also, "Kim Jong Eun wants to show that he cares for North Korea’s scientists, so he put the director of the institute to the forefront."

Releasing news of the event today, Chosun Central News Agency said that scientists and technical experts were present, but did not name the man directly.

Meanwhile, the defector added, "The name Chosun Outer Space Technology Committee is a nickname used to disguise missile development as that of satellites. We should regard the Chosun Outer Space Technology Committee as the Missile Development Research Institute."