Room 39
Room 39 (officially Central Committee Bureau 39 of the Workers' Party of Korea, also referred to as Bureau 39, Division 39, or Office 39) is a secretive North Korean party organization that seeks ways to maintain the foreign currency slush fund for the country's leaders.The organization is estimated to bring in between $500 million and $1 billion per year or more and is involved in illegal activities, such as counterfeiting $100 bills, producing controlled substances (including the synthesis of methamphetamine and the conversion of morphine-containing opium into more potent opiates like heroin), and international insurance fraud.Although the seclusion of the North Korean state makes it difficult to evaluate this kind of information, many claim that Room 39 is critical to the Kim family's continued power, enabling them to buy political support and help fund North Korea's nuclear weapons program.Room 39 is the largest of three influential so-called Third Floor offices along with Office 35 tasked with intelligence and Office 38 which handles legal financial activities. Room 39 is believed to be located inside a ruling Workers' Party building in Pyongyang, not far from one of the North Korean leader's residences. All three Offices were initially housed on the third floor of the building where Kim Jong-il's office used to be, hence the moniker "Third Floor".
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