Kim Yong Chun (Kim Yo’ng-ch’un)

updated 11 May 2012

VMar Kim Yong Chun (Kim Yo’ng-ch’un) is Vice Chairman of the National Defense Commission and director of the KWP Civil Defense Department. He is also a member of the KWP Central Committee, its Political Bureau and the Party Central Military Commission. Kim had close social ties to the late DPRK supreme leader Kim Jong Il.

Kim Yong Chun was born in 1936 in Yanggang Province. He attended the Mangyo’ngdae Revolutionary School and Kim Il-so’ng Military University. Kim began his career as member of the KPA’s political corps. Kim was appointed a party secretary on the South P’yo’ngyan KWP Provincial Committee in the early 1960s, and held several command positions in the 1970s.

Kim Yong Chun was elected to candidate membership on the Party Central Committee at the 6^th Party Congress in October 1980. In 1986 he was appointed director of the General Staff Department’s Operations Bureau and also elected a deputy to the Supreme People’s Assembly and a full member of the Party Central Committee. However, he was demoted along with then-Chief of the KPA General Staff, Gen. O Kuk Ryol, when a group of KPA generals challenged then defense minister O Jin U, in the late 1980s.

Kim was restored after receiving re-education, and was promoted to General in 1992. He was appointed director of the General Munitions Mobilization Bureau in 1993. In 1994 Kim was appointed command of the VI Army Corps in North Hamgyo’ng Province. Kim was a member of Kim Il-so’ng’s Funeral Committee in July 1994.

Kim Yong-chun (L) attends KJI’s meeting with PRC President Hu Jintao in August 2010 (Photo: Xinhua)

Kim supervised the disbanding of the VI Army Corps in 1995. The VI Corps which had been accused of corruption and treason. He was promoted to Vice Marshal and appointed Chief of the KPA General Staff. He was elected to the National Defense Commission at the 10^th Supreme People’s Assembly in September 1998. He was promoted to NDC Vice Chairman in April 2007 and appointed Minister of the People’s Armed Forces in February 2009. In September 2010 Kim Yong Chun was elected a member of the Political Bureau and reappointed membership on the Party Central Military Commission.

In April 2012 Kim was replaced as Minister of the People’s Armed Forces. During the 4th Party Conference he was appointed director of the KWP Civil Defense Department which manages the country’s reserve military training units (Worker-Peasants’ Red Guard; Young Red Guards, etc).

Kim Yong Chun had close social ties to Kim Jong and was part of a small circle of senior KPA officials who attended hunting trips with KJU. He also routinely attended KJI’s banquets and so-called close aide parties, and traveled with him on visits to China and Russia. Kim has has close patronage and social ties to Gen. O Kuk Ryol for four decades, as well as close ties to Jang Song Taek. Despite rumors of fragile health, Kim has appeared vigorous and agile at public events. Kim Yong Chun has a gregarious personality and can be quite blunt. He once discomfited KJI at a party meeting by saying a senior Cabinet official “should be shot dead.”

VMar Kim’s son-in-law, Ri Song Ho, serves as Vice Minister of Commerce. Another of VMar Kim’s daughters is married to a manager of a foreign trading corporation.

Kim Yong Chun

Vice Chairman, National Defense Commission

Minister of the People’s Armed Forces

Member, Party Central Committee (CC KWP)

Member, Party Central Military Committee

1960: Secretary, South Pyongan KWP Provincial Committee

1980: Elected Candidate Member, CC KWP

1986: Director, Operations Bureau, General Staff Department

Deputy, 8^th Supreme People’s Assembly

Elected Member of CCKWP

1987: Order of Kim il Sung Award

1990: Deputy, 9^th SPA

1992: Promoted, General, KPA

1993: Director, General Logistics Mobilization Bureau, MPAF

1994: Commanding Officer, VI Army Corps

Member of Kim Il Sung Funeral Committee

1995: Member, O Jin U Funeral Committee

Promoted, Vice Marshal, KPA

Chief of the General Staff, MPAF

1998: Deputy, 10^th SPA

Elected, Member, National Defense Commission

2007: Elected Vice Chairman of the NDC

2009: Appointed, Minister of People’s Armed Forces

2010: Elected, Member, KWP Political Bureau

Elected, Party Central Military Commission