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Vice Marshal
Hyon Yong-chol
Minister of Defence
In office
June 12, 2014 – April 2015
Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un
Preceded by Jang Jong-nam
Succeeded by Pak Yong-sik
Vice Chairman of the
Central Military Commission
In office
July 26, 2012 – May 24, 2013
Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un
Preceded by Choe Ryong-hae
Ri Yong-ho
Succeeded by Choe Ryong-hae
Chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army
In office
July 26, 2012 – May 24, 2013
Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un
Preceded by Ri Yong-ho
Succeeded by Kim Kyok-sik
Defence Minister Kim Jong-gak
Kim Kyok-sik
Jang Jong-nam
Personal details
Born
Hyon Yong-chol

(1949-01-11)January 11, 1949
Kyŏngsŏng County (modern Ŏrang County), North Hamgyong Province, North Korea
Died April 30, 2015(2015-04-30) (aged 66) (rumored)
North Korea
Military service
Allegiance  North Korea
Branch/service Flag of the Korean People's Army Ground Force.svg Korean People's Army
Rank Vice-Marshal rank insignia (North Korea).svg Vice Marshal (reportedly demoted to General in November 2012)
Hyon Yong-chol
Chosŏn'gŭl
Hancha
McCune–Reischauer Hyŏn Yŏngch'ŏl
Revised Romanization Hyeon Yeongcheol

Hyon Yong-chol (Hangul: 현영철; January 11, 1949 – rumored April 30, 2015) was a North Korean general and Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) politician. He served as Minister of Defence from 2014 to 2015. In 2015, he was reportedly removed from his post.

Personal life and career

North Korean media have stated that Hyon was born in January 1949 and joined the military in 1966. Having served as a battalion commander, he was elected a delegate to the Supreme People's Assembly in 2009. Hyon was promoted to the rank of four-star general (대장) alongside Kim Jong-un, Kim Kyong-hui, Kim Kyong-ok, Choe Ryong-hae, and Choe Pu-il in September 2010. He was on the national funeral committee in the wake of Kim Jong-il's death in December 2011. Hyon was named as a member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea at the third party conference. In February 2012, Hyon received the Order of Kim Jong-il.

Hyon was promoted to the rank of Vice Marshal (차수) of the KPA in July 2012, two days after Chief of the General Staff Ri Yong-ho was relieved of his duties. It was initially unclear if Hyon would replace Ri as Chief of the General Staff, but this was confirmed a few days later. He was also identified as vice-chairman of the WPK Central Military Commission on 26 July 2012.

Hyon was reportedly demoted to General in November 2012. On 31 March 2013, Hyon was made a Politburo alternate member, though he did not take Ri Yong-ho's former seat on the Politburo Presidium. He was transferred to command the 5th Army Corps in May 2013. He was called back to Pyongyang in June 2014 to serve as minister of the People's Armed Forces.

Ouster and rumoured execution

South Korea's National Intelligence Service initially reported on May 12, 2015, that Hyon was purged and publicly executed near the end of April 2015 at Kanggon Military Training Area near Pyongyang. It was reported that he was executed – with an anti-aircraft gun – for insubordination and sleeping during formal military rallies, in particular during an event in late April 2015 attended by Kim Jong-un in which Hyon was captured on video napping. A report by CNN indicated that Hyon was accused of treason after he failed to carry out an order by Kim Jong-un, though the nature of this order was not specified. A top official stated that while executions take place for crimes of treason or subversion, Hyon was not among the executed. According to analysts interviewed by BBC News, while reassigning officials was commonplace in North Korea, the execution of a figure as close to Kim Jong-un as Hyon was surprising, and could give cause to concern for the country's stability.

Hours after the initial report, South Korea's National Intelligence Service revised its statement, saying that although it has intelligence information suggesting that Hyon was executed, it had not been able to verify that. Doubts were raised because footage of Hyon was still being shown on North Korean television. He was also mentioned in the North Korean newspaper Rodong Sinmun the day he was supposed to have been executed. This would imply that he had been arrested and executed on the same day, which is unlikely. In July, official North Korea media named Pak Yong-sik as the armed forces minister, but did not report Hyon's removal. A South Korean spokesman said that reports of Hyon's execution should be taken as rumors until there was definitive evidence.

His rumoured execution was never confirmed.

Awards and honors

The official portrait of Hyon illustrates Hyon wearing all the decorations awarded to him.

PRK Order of Kim Il Sung BAR.png Order of Kim Il-sung

PRK Order of Kim Il Sung BAR.png Order of Kim Jong-il

PRK Order of the National Flag - 1st Class BAR.png Order of the National Flag First Class, seven times

FreedomAndIndependence1Ribbon.jpg Order of Freedom and Independence First Class, twice

DPRK Order of Labor.png Order of Korean Labour, twice

DPRK 20th Anniversary Order.png Commemorative Order "50th Anniversary of the Foundation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea"

KPA Foundation Commemorative Order.png Commemorative Order "Anniversary of the Foundation of the People's Army"

DPRK Order of Military Service Honor 1st Class.png Order of Military Service Honour First Class

30th Anniversary of the Publication of the Rural Theses Order ribbon.png Commemorative Order "30th Anniversary of the Agricultural Presentation"

PRK Order of the National Flag - 2nd Class BAR.png Order of the National Flag Second Class, three times

FreedomAndIndependence2Ribbon.jpg Order of Freedom and Independence Second Class

DPRK Order of Military Service Honor 2nd Class.png Order of Military Service Honour Second Class

DPRK Order of Three Great Revolutions.png Order of the Red Banner of Three Great Revolutions

PRK Order of the National Flag - 3rd Class BAR.png Order of the National Flag Third Class, twice

DPRK Order of Military Service Honor 3rd Class.png Order of Military Service Honour Third Class

DPRK Soldiers Honor Order 2nd Class.png Soldier's Medal of Honour Second Class

Commemorative Medal Anniversary of the Foundation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ribbon.gif Commemorative Medal "The Foundation of the People's Republic of Korea"

DPRK Military Merit Medal.png Medal For Military Merit

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Hyon Yong-chol para niños

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