Kim Chol-man (김철만; 2 November 1920 – 3 December 2018) was a North Korean politician and military official. He was a member of several important committees and organizations, including the 6th Central Military Commission, the 6th Politburo, and the Second Economic Committee. He was at the forefront of the North Korean munitions industry, the country's economic base (see

Songun ''Songun'' is the " military-first" policy of North Korea, prioritizing the Korean People's Army in the affairs of state and allocation of resources. "Military-first" as a principle guides political and economic life in North Korea, with "mili ...

). In old age Kim was no longer considered a major player in North Korean politics, having retired from most of his important posts.

Early life and education

Kim was born in 1918 in

South Pyongan Province South Pyongan Province (Phyŏngannamdo; ) is a province of North Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the southern half of the former Pyongan Province, remained a province of Korea until 1945, then became a province of North Korea. Its c ...

. He is the brother-in-law of

Han Tok-su Han Deok-su (1907–2001) founded the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) in 1955. When Han died in 2001, a funeral committee was appointed with So Man-sul So Man-sul (; 17 April 1927 – 19 February 2012) was the chai ...

, former chairman of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan. He was trained at the

Frunze Military Academy The M. V. Frunze Military Academy (russian: Военная академия имени М. В. Фрунзе), or in full the Military Order of Lenin and the October Revolution, Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Academy in the name of M. V. Frunze (rus ...

in the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

, then known as the RKKA Military Academy.

Military career

Kim joined

Kim Il-sung Kim Il-sung (; , ; born Kim Song-ju, ; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he ruled from the country's establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of ...

's United Army in 1937 along with other first-generation guerrilla leaders such as

Ri Ul-sol Ri Ul-sol (리을설; 14 September 19217 November 2015) was a North Korean politician and military official. He played an important role in the administrations of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, achieving the rank of Marshal of the Korean People's ...

and

Kim Ik-hyon Kim Ik-hyon ( ko, 김익현/金益鉉, 1921 - 15 January 2009) was a North Korean politician and military officer. He was member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. He was elected to the 11th convocation of the Supreme Pe ...

. Kim saw action in the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

and suffered physical wounds. Kim also held many para-military posts. In 1964, he became the Director-General of the Strategy Bureau in the Ministry of People's Security. During this time, he was a central figure in the establishment of a unitary leadership and a collective principle system in

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...

, along with Kim Jong-il. In October 1980 he was appointed a member of the powerful

6th Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea The 6th Central Military Commission (CMC) of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), officially the Central Military Commission of the 6th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea The 6th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) was held in the ...

. In September 1998 he became a

member of the National Defense Commission List of members of the National Defence Commission may refer to: * Members of the 5th National Defence Commission, elected by the 1st Session of the 5th Supreme People's Assembly in 1972. * Members of the 6th National Defence Commission, elected ...

. Kim led North Korea's munitions industry, the country's economic base, along with Korean Workers' Party Secretary

Jon Pyong-ho Jon Pyong-ho (, 20 March 1926 – 7 July 2014) was a North Korean officer and politician who served as the Chief Secretary of the Korean Workers Party (KWP) Committee of the North Korean Cabinet, and director of the DPRK Cabinet Political Burea ...

Political career

In November 1967, as a member of the first generation of North Korean leadership, Kim was elected as an alternate member to the

6th Central Committee of the Korean Workers' Party The 6th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea was elected by the 6th Congress on 14 October 1980, and remained in session until the election of the 7th Central Committee on 9 May 2016. The Central Committee composition was replenished ...

. He was elevated to full member status in November 1970. Kim's position was placed in danger following a 1969 purge of military officials, but survived untouched. For a short period of time (October 1980 – September 1981) Kim was an alternate member of the

Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea In North Korea, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), or simply the Politburo, formerly the Political Committee (1946–61), is the highest decision-making body in the ruling party between sessions ...

, the highest decision-making body of North Korea. Special positions he held include the Chair of the Second Economic Committee, and the funeral committees of both

and

O Jin-u O Jin-u (March 8, 1917 – February 25, 1995) was a North Korean general and politician. He served with Kim Il-sung's partisan unit and eventually rose through the ranks of the North Korean Army. He distinguished himself during the Korean War an ...

. The funeral committees are often seen as an indicator of ''de facto'' power. In old age, Kim was retired from many of his positions. During a reshuffle in 2003, which saw the removal of other members of the first generation of North Korean leadership such as

, Kim was retired from the Second Economic Committee and the

National Defense Commission The National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (NDC) () was the highest state institution for military and national defence leadership in North Korea, which also served as the highest governing institution of the cou ...

. He held on to membership in the Central Military Committee until September 2010. He was a delegate deputy to the 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th Supreme People's Assemblies.

Awards

Kim was the recipient of the

Hero of the Republic Hero of the Republic () is a North Korean honorific title. It was created on 30 June 1950 as Hero of the Korean People's Republic (). It was the first title created in the country. Despite having been created just five days after the Korean War ...

and Double Hero awards in 1968 and 1992 respectively.

Death

Kim Chol-man died of bladder cancer on 3 December 2018 at the age of 98. His funeral committee was chaired by Kim Jong-un and was composed of the following members: # Kim Jong-un #

Choe Ryong-hae Choe Ryong-hae (born 15 January 1950) is a North Korean politician and military officer who currently serves as Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly and First Vice President of the State Affairs Commission, holding ...

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Ri Myong-su Ri Myong-su ( ko, 리명수; born on 20 February 1934 in Myongchon, North Hamgyong) is the former chief of General Staff of the Korean People's Army from 2016 to 2018. Ri was a confidant and military aide of the former North Korean leader Kim J ...

Ri Su-yong Ri Su-yong (; born 15 June 1940), also known as Ri Chol (), is a North Korean diplomat and politician, serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Korea from April 2014 until May 2016. Ri has served as a diplomat to Switzerland, and h ...

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# O Su-yong # An Jong-su #

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# Choe Hwi # Pak Thae-dok # Kim Su-gil #

Ri Yong-gil Ri Yong-gil (, born 1955) is a North Korean military officer and the current Minister of Social Security. He is believed to have been in his 60s when appointed to his position as a general in 2013. Ri was made a Lieutenant General in April 200 ...

# No Kwang-chol #

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# Im Chol-ung #

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# Ri Man-gon #

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# # Ri Ryong-nam # Tong Jong-ho #

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# # Kim Yong-dae #

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# Pak Kyong-suk # Ri Yong-suk # Ri Il-hwan #

Ri Chol-man Ri Chol-man ( ko, 리철만, born in 1968) is a politician of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). He is a member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and Chairman of the Party Committee of South Hwanghae ...

# # Ri Yong-rae # Ryang Won-ho # Pak To-chun #

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# Kang Pong-hun #

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# Mun Kyong-dok # # Ryang Jong-hun # Kim Jae-ryong # Pak Jong-nam #

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# Kim Song-il # # # # # # # # # Jo Jun-mo # So Hong-chan # #

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# # Yun Tong-hyon # Kim Song-chol # Ho Yong-chun #

Kim Hyong-ryong Kim Hyong-ryong ( ko, 김형룡) is a military officer and politician of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). He is a member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Ko ...

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O Kum-chol O Kum-chol ( ko, 오금철; born February 24, 1947) is an army general and politician in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). He is a vice-chief of the General Staff Department of the Korean People's Army and a member of the C ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Chol-man 1918 births 2018 deaths Frunze Military Academy alumni North Korean generals North Korean military personnel of the Korean War Deaths from bladder cancer Deaths from cancer in North Korea Members of the 6th Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea Alternate members of the 6th Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea Members of the 5th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Members of the 6th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea People of 88th Separate Rifle Brigade