Kang Yong Sop (, ; October 15, 1931 – January 21, 2012) was a North Korean politician, second son of deputy prime minister

Kang Ryang-uk Kang Ryang-uk (; December 7, 1903 – January 9, 1983), also spelled Kang Lyanguk, was a North Korean Presbyterian minister and Chairman of the Korean Christian Federation since 1946. Biography Kang was born on December 7, 1903. Kang ...

and Song Sok-jong. He served as chair of the

Korean Christian Federation The Korean Christian Federation is a Protestant body in North Korea founded in 1946. The federation is based in the capital city Pyongyang. The current secretary general is O Kyong-u. The federation has come to play an important role in internati ...

(KCF) and vice-president of the . He was also vice-president of the North Korean branch of the Pan-Korean Alliance for Reunification (PKAR), delegate to 12th Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) and member of the SPA Presidium, and director of the Pyongyang Theological Academy.

Career

In January 1969, Kang was appointed to deputy bureau manager in the Cabinet administrative bureau. He became ambassador to

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

in 1969, and to

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

in 1971. Kang served as chair of the central committee of the

(KCF) starting in February 1989, vice-president of the starting in May 1989, and chair of the KCF central committee in May 1990. He served as a member of the unification policy committee of the

Supreme People's Assembly The Supreme People's Assembly (SPA; ) is the legislature of North Korea. It is ostensibly the highest organ of state power and the only branch of government in North Korea, with all state organs subservient to it under the principle of unified ...

(SPA) starting in May 1990, and as a member of the central committee of the North Korean branch of the Pan-Korean Alliance for Reunification (PKAR). In March 1991, he was appointed to the directorship of the Pyongyang Theological Academy. Starting in July 1991, he served as vice-president of the DPRK-Japan Friendship Association, and as a member of the central committee of the

Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland The Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea (DFRK), also known as the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland (DFRF) or the Fatherland Front, was a North Korean united front formed on 25 June 1949 and led by the Workers ...

. He became vice-chair of the PKAR in August 1993, and served as deputy chair of the North Korean committee for implementation of the June 15th North–South Joint Declaration. He died in Pyongyang of a heart attack on January 21, 2012. After being elected to the 9th Supreme People's Assembly in April 1990, Kang served in the 10th (1998), 11th (2003), and 12th (2009) sessions of the SPA as delegate and member of the SPA Presidium. He was a member of the national mourning committees for the deaths of Kim Il Sung in 1994, Ri In-mo in 2007, and

Pak Song-chol Pak Song-chol or Park Sung-chul (; 2 September 1913 – 28 October 2008) was a North Korean politician who served as Premier of North Korea from 1976 to 1977. He succeeded Kim Il. He also served as foreign minister from 1959 to 1970. Biog ...

in 2008.

Awards

Kang was awarded the

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 ...

in March 2002, and the

National Reunification Prize The National Reunification Prize () is an award of North Korea, bestowed by the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly upon people who have contributed to the reunification of Korea. The award was instituted in 1990. Recipients 1990 * An Ji ...

in September 2003.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kang, Yong-sop 1931 births 2012 deaths People from Pyongyang North Korean politicians North Korean Christians Ambassadors of North Korea to Romania Ambassadors of North Korea to Malta