Friday 17 August 2018

Kim Yong Chun Dies


Pyongyang, August 17 (KCNA) -- Marshal of the Korean People's Army (KPA) Kim Yong Chun, member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), deputy to the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) and general adviser of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces, died of acute myocardial infarction to our sorrow at 3:10 Thursday at the age of 82.

Kim Yong Chun was born into a poor peasant family in Pochon County, Ryanggang Province on March 4, Juche 25 (1936).

He graduated from Mangyongdae Revolutionary School and Kang Kon Military Academy under the warm care of President Kim Il Sung after Korea's liberation and grew into a full-fledged military commander.

After graduating from Kim Il Sung Military University, he had served as a military commander in sub-units and units at all levels of the KPA and as a senior staff officer of the KPA General Staff and then vice department director of the staff of an army corps from Juche 60 (1971) and department director of the KPA General Staff from Juche 68 (1979).

He held the responsible position of combined units and the General Staff of the KPA from Juche 71 (1982), the important post of the corps commander of the KPA from Feb. Juche 83 (1994) and the chief of the KPA General Staff from Oct. Juche 84 (1995) and made a distinguished contribution to defending leader Kim Jong Il unto death and establishing the Party's unified leadership system across the army.

He worked as vice-chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK from Mar. Juche 96 (2007) to April Juche 103 (2014) and the minister of the People's Armed Forces from Feb. Juche 98 (2009) and department director of the C.C., WPK from April Juche 101 (2012) and successively held the post of the general adviser of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces from April Juche 103 (2014).

He had been an alternate member of the WPK Central Committee from Oct. Juche 69 (1980), a member of the WPK Central Committee from Dec. Juche 75 (1986) and a member of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee from Sep. Juche 99 (2010) to May Juche 105 (2016).

He had been active as a deputy to the SPA since the 8th SPA in December Juche 75 (1986).

For his feats for the Party, revolution, country and people, Kim Yong Chun was awarded Order of Kim Il Sung and Order of Kim Jong Il and watches bearing the august names of the great leaders and high-ranking party and state commendations such as the title of DPRK Hero.

He was awarded the title of KPA Marshal in April Juche 105 (2016).

An obituary of Kim Yong Chun jointly issued by the Central Committee and the Central Military Commission of the WPK, and the State Affairs Commission and the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK was made public on Thursday.

It said that Kim Yong Chun was a revolutionary soldier faithful to President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il, a close revolutionary comrade-in-arms of the respected Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un and a reliable elder revolutionary who made great contribution to the strengthening of the revolutionary armed forces. Although he passed away, his exploits before the party, the revolution, the country and the people will shine long in the revolutionary history, the history of building the revolutionary armed forces of the WPK, it added.

That day the Central Committee and the Central Military Commission of the WPK, the State Affairs Commission and the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK said that the deceased will be accorded a state funeral.

They also formed a state funeral committee chaired by the respected Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un and with Kim Yong Nam and 149 others as members.

The funeral committee said that the bier of the deceased is at the April 25 House of Culture and mourners will be allowed from 9:00 on August 17 to 19:00 on August 19, and that the hearse will leave at 9:00 on August 20. -0-

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