Kim Jong-gak (; born 20 July 1941)
, KCNA, 29 September 2010. is a

Korean People's Army The Korean People's Army (KPA; ) is the military force of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). Under the ''Songun'' policy, it is the central institution of North Korean society. Currently, WPK General Sec ...

(KPA) official. He was a 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 ...

(WPK). He served as

Minister of Defence A defence minister or minister of defence is a Cabinet (government), cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from coun ...

briefly in 2012, and Director of the General Political Bureau of the KPA in 2018.

Biography

Kim Jong-gak was born in

Jungsan County Chŭngsan County is a '' kun'' (county) in South Pyongan Province, North Korea. Re-education Camp No. 11, a large prison mostly for repatriated refugees, is located in the northwestern part of Chŭngsan County. Administrative divisions Chŭngs ...

, South Phyongan Province on 20 July 1941, and joined the

in August 1959. and later served in a number of capacities such as

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

commander, deputy commander of an army corps, chief of staff and head of a training center. He joined the Party leadership in December 1991, when he was appointed an alternate member of the WPK Central Committee at the 19th Plenary Meeting of the 6th Central Committee. In 1992 his duties grew again: in April, during

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 80th birthday, he was promoted to

colonel-general Colonel general is a three- or four-star military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, and was a ra ...

, and in December he was appointed vice-minister of the People's Armed Forces. Since then, Kim Jong-gak's role grew. He was appointed administrator of the KPA's parades and performances in

Pyongyang Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populatio ...

, elected deputy to the

Supreme People's Assembly The Supreme People's Assembly (SPA; ) is the unicameral legislature of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), commonly known as North Korea. It consists of one deputy from each of the DPRK's 687 constituencies, elected to five-year ...

starting from 1998, and promoted to general in April 2002. He was also put in charge of representing the KPA during receptions for foreign

military attache A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

s. In October 2006, he gave the keynote speech to a Pyongyang rally supporting 9 October nuclear testing. In 2007, he was appointed first vice-director of the

KPA General Political Bureau The General Political Bureau (GPB) is the internal politburo of the Korean People's Army (KPA), used by the leadership of the North Korean government to exert political control over the military. The GPB is subordinate to the Ministry of Defence ...

; starting from that year, he frequently accompanied

Kim Jong-il Kim Jong-il (; ; ; born Yuri Irsenovich Kim;, 16 February 1941 – 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician who was the second supreme leader of North Korea from 1994 to 2011. He led North Korea from the 1994 death of his father Kim ...

in his inspection tours. In August 2008, he gave the keynote speech during a meeting celebrating the anniversary of "Kim Jong-il's

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 ...

leadership". At the opening of the 12th Supreme People's Assembly in 2009, he was elected to the newly-expanded

National Defence 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 ...

. In September 2010, at the 3rd Party Conference, he was promoted to Politburo alternate member and Central Military Commission member. General Kim Jong-gak was seen as one of the next generations of KPA leaders, along with Chief of General Staff Ri Yong-ho, as well as a key asset to

Kim Jong-un Kim Jong-un (; , ; born 8 January 1982) is a North Korean politician who has been Supreme Leader of North Korea since 2011 and the leader of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012. He is a son of Kim Jong-il, who was North Korea's sec ...

's rise to power."Gen. Kim Jong-gak's Rising Star"
North Korea Leadership Watch, 25 December 2009. He is also supposedly linked to

Jang Song-thaek Jang Song-thaek (January or February 1946 – 12 December 2013) was a leading figure in the government of North Korea. He was married to Kim Kyong-hui, the only daughter of North Korean Premier Kim Il-sung and his first wife Kim Jong-suk, and o ...

, Kim Jong-il's brother-in-law; notably, both of them were removed from limelight in 2003–2005, and were promoted to high positions in 2007. Kim Jong-gak's supposed part in ensuring the succession was enhanced in May 2010, when he presided over a military ceremony unveiling bronze statues of Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and

Kim Jong-suk Kim Jong-suk (; 24 December 1917Suh Dae-sook. Kim Il Sung: The North Korean Leader. New York: Columbia University Press, 1988. – 22 September 1949) was a Korean anti-Japanese guerrilla, a Communist activist, North Korean leader Kim Il ...

. In April 2011, the

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

n newspaper ''Choson Ilbo'' said that Kim Jong-gak was working directly under Kim Jong-un."Kim Jong-il's Son 'Effectively Control Security Forces'"
''Chosun Ilbo'' (English Edition), 13 April 2011. After

Jo Myong-rok Jo Myong-lok (12 July 1928 – 6 November 2010) was a North Korean military officer who held the military rank Chasu (Vice Marshal). In 1998, he was appointed First Vice-Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea, Director ...

's death in November 2010 left the post of KPA General Political Bureau director vacant, Kim Jong-gak probably worked as its acting chief until

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 ...

was appointed to fill the post in April 2012. After Kim Jong-il's death, on 15 February 2012, he was promoted to

Vice Marshal Air vice-marshal (AVM) is a two-star air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes u ...

; on 19 February, he wrote an article for ''

Rodong Sinmun ''Rodong Sinmun'' (; ) is a North Korean newspaper that serves as the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. It was first published on November 1, 1945, as ''Chŏngro'' (), serving as a communication channel ...

'' swearing an oath of "unwavering faith" to Supreme Commander

. On 10 April, in the wake of the controversial Kwangmyongsong-3 launch, he was appointed Minister of People's Armed Forces (

defence minister A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

), replacing

Kim Yong-Chun Kim Yong-chun (4 March 1936 – 16 August 2018) was a North Korean soldier and politician. He was a leader of the North Korean military. He held the North Korean military rank Chasu (Vice Marshal), was Vice Chairman of the National Defense Commi ...

. He was replaced by

Kim Kyok-sik General Kim Kyok-sik (; 5 October 1938 – 10 May 2015) was a defence minister of North Korea. Biography Kim Kyok-sik was born in 1938. He studied at Kim Il-sung Military Academy before being moved to Syria as North Korea's military attach ...

on 29 November 2012."North Korea appoints hardline general as armed forces minister"
The Guardian, 29 November 2012. Despite the latter's appointment, which was not reported by state media and confirmed only on 28 December as he was listed as defence minister at a reception for foreign military attache corps, Kim Jong-gak remained a member of the top leadership until 31 March 2013, when he was removed from the WPK Politburo and the National Defence Commission. He then held a minor position under the Kim Il Sung Military University as dean of its graduate school. On 9 February 2018,

North Korean media The mass media in North Korea is amongst the most strictly controlled in the world. The constitution nominally provides for freedom of speech and the press. However, the government routinely disregards these rights, and seeks to mold informatio ...

confirmed that Kim had replaced

Hwang Pyong-so Hwang Pyong-so (born c. 1946 or 1949) is a North Korean general and politician who held the rank of Vice Marshal ( ko, 차수, ''Ch'asu'') in the Korean People's Army (KPA). He was a member of the Presidium of the Workers' Party of Korea and the ...

as the Director of the

General Political Bureau The General Political Bureau (GPB) is the internal politburo of the Korean People's Army (KPA), used by the leadership of the North Korean government to exert political control over the military. The GPB is subordinate to the Ministry of Defence ...

of the KPA and was given back his party Politburo seat. In May, after a mere four months, he was in turn replaced by

Kim Su-gil Kim Su-gil (, born 1950) is a North Korean general and politician. He was the director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army (KPA) from when he replaced Kim Jong-gak in May 2018 until January 2021. Career Kim Su-gil is a ...

Awards and honors

Kim could be seen wearing multiple decorations during a visit from a Cuban delegation. PRK Order of Kim Il Sung BAR

Order of Kim Il-sung The Order of Kim Il-sung () is the highest order of North Korea, along with the Order of Kim Jong-il, and only second to one honorary title, the Hero of Labour. The order, named after the country's first leader Kim Il-sung, was instituted in 1 ...

Order of Kim Jong-il The Order of Kim Jong-il () is a North Korean order named after Kim Jong-il, the former leader of North Korea. It is the highest order of North Korea, along with the Order of Kim Il-Sung, and only second to one honorary title, the Hero of Labo ...

PRK Order of the National Flag - 1st Class BAR

Order of the National Flag First Class, five times FreedomAndIndependence1Ribbon

Order of Freedom and Independence First Class, twice DPRK Order of Labor

Order of Korean Labour, twice DPRK 20th Anniversary Order

Commemorative Order "Foundation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea" KPA Foundation Commemorative Order

Commemorative Order "Anniversary of the Foundation of the People's Army" DPRK Order of Military Service Honor 1st Class

Order of Military Service Honour First Class, twice 30th Anniversary of the Publication of the Rural Theses Order ribbon

Commemorative Order "30th Anniversary of the Agricultural Presentation" PRK Order of the National Flag - 2nd Class BAR

Order of the National Flag Second Class, three times DPRK Order of Three Great Revolutions

Order of the Red Banner of Three Great Revolutions PRK Order of the National Flag - 3rd Class BAR

Order of the National Flag Third Class DPRK Soldiers Honor Order 2nd Class

Soldier's Medal of Honour Second Class, twice FatherlandLiberationRibbon

Commemorative Medal "Fatherland Liberation" Commemorative Medal Anniversary of the Foundation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ribbon

Commemorative Medal Anniversary of the Foundation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ribbon

Commemorative Medal "The Foundation of the People's Republic of Korea" DPRK Military Merit Medal

Medal For Military Merit, three times Commemorative Medal "Pyongyang-Nampho Highway Construction" Commemorative Medal "Military Parade", three times

References

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Jong-gak North Korean military personnel 1941 births Members of the Supreme People's Assembly Living people Defence ministers of North Korea Alternate members of the 6th Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea Alternate members of the 7th Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea Members of the 6th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Members of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea People from South Pyongan

Biography

Awards and honors

See also

References