General Jang Jong-nam (born c. 1960) is the current Minister of Social Security and former

defence minister A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

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 Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

. He is believed to be in his 50s.

Career

Jang is believed to have played a role in the 2010

bombardment of Yeonpyeong The Bombardment of Yeonpyeongdo () was an artillery engagement between the North Korean military and South Korean forces stationed on the island Yeonpyeongdo on 23 November 2010. Following a South Korean artillery exercise in disputed waters ...

, which killed four people. Jang was made colonel general on the occasion of

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 led as its first Supreme Leader (North Korean title), supreme leader from North Korea#Founding, its establishm ...

's 99th birthday in April 2011. He delivered a speech on the first anniversary of

Kim Jong Il Kim Jong Il (born Yuri Kim; 16 February 1941 or 1942 – 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician who was the second Supreme Leader (North Korean title), supreme leader of North Korea from Death and state funeral of Kim Il Sung, the de ...

's death in December 2012 pledging loyalty to

Kim Jong Un Kim Jong Un (born 8 January 1983 or 1984) is a North Korean politician and dictator who has served as supreme leader of North Korea since 2011 and general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012. He is the third son of Kim ...

and threatening to "ravine he enemiesinto their death pitfall when the hour of decisive battle comes". He was identified as general and commander of the forward-deployed 1st Army Corps of the

Korean People's Army The Korean People's Army (KPA; ) encompasses the combined military forces of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). The KPA consists of five branches: the Korean People's Army Ground Force, Ground Force, the Ko ...

on that occasion. Jang was unexpectedly appointed minister of the People's Armed Forces in early May 2013. He is the third defence minister appointed by Kim Jong Un since taking control of

in December 2011 (Kim Jong Il only replaced two defence ministers in his 17-year leadership). He was replaced in June 2014. In September 2021 he was appointed minister of Social Security and promoted to 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 ...

. He was demoted in December, after merely three months. Since 2016 he has served as a member of the 7th and

8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea The 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea was elected at the 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, party's 8th Congress on 10 January 2021, and will sit until the convocation of the next party congress. In between National m ...

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Jang, Jong-nam North Korean generals Living people Defence ministers of North Korea Year of birth missing (living people) Members of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea