Kim Hwan (; 1929–May 2009) was a

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 ...

n politician and technocrat who served as a Vice Premier of North Korea.

Biography

He was born in 1929 in

Kimhyongjik County Kimhyŏngjik County is a ''kun'' of Ryanggang Province, North Korea. Formerly known as Huch'ang County, it was renamed in 1988 in honour of Kim Hyŏng-jik, the leader of the anti-Japanese liberation movement of Korea. The 2004 Ryanggang explo ...

Ryanggang Province Ryanggang Province (Ryanggangdo; , ) is a Administrative divisions of North Korea, province in North Korea. The province is bordered by China (Jilin) to the north, North Hamgyong to the east, South Hamgyong to the south, and Chagang to the west. ...

, a son of partisan Kim Hyuk, and the son-in-law of Kim Il. After graduating from Mangyongdae Revolutionary School, he went on to the Faculty of Chemical Engineering at

Kim Il Sung University Kim Il Sung University () is a public university in Taesong, Pyongyang, North Korea. It was founded on 1 October 1946 and was the first tertiary education institution established in post-war North Korea. The 15-hectare campus, along with the m ...

and studied in

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

, graduating from the Karl Marx Institute of Technology under the

University of Leipzig Leipzig University (), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December 1409 by Frederick I, Electo ...

After returning to Korea, he served as a researcher at the Institute of Chemical Industry of the Ministry of Heavy Industry in 1961 and moved to Hamhung Institute of Technology in 1963 as an assistant professor of analytical chemistry. In 1967, he served as a researcher at the Institute of Hyperthermic Chemistry at the Hamhung branch of the Academy of Sciences. After entering the cabinet, he was appointed deputy Minister of Textile and Paper Industry in 1968. In December 1972, with the adoption of the Socialist Constitution and the constitutional changes which established the presidency, he was appointed as the Minister of the Chemical Industry, serving until 1976, before passing it on to Wondong-gu. In October 1974, he was by-elected as a member of the Central Committee, and in March 1976 he served as a member of the funeral committee of

Nam Il Nam Il (5 June 1915 – 7 March 1976) was a Russian-born North Korean military officer and co-signer of the Korean Armistice Agreement. Biography Nam was born Yakov Petrovich Nam () probably in the Russian Far East. Due to a Soviet policy, Na ...

, of Hong Won-gil in May, and a of Choe Yong-gon in September. When the 6th Supreme People's Assembly was convened in 1977, he was elected a member of the Qualifications Committee and

Central People's Committee Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

. His progress in promotion continued, and in September 1978 he was elected as a member of the

Politburo A politburo () or political bureau is the highest organ of the central committee in communist parties. The term is also sometimes used to refer to similar organs in socialist and Islamist parties, such as the UK Labour Party's NEC or the Poli ...

and secretary of the

Secretariat Secretariat may refer to: * Secretariat (administrative office) * Secretariat (horse) Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who was the ninth winn ...

, and in September 1978, he served as a member of the funeral committee of Han Ik-su. In October 1980, he was retained as a member of the Politburo and secretary of the Secretariat at the 6th Party Congress. In February 1982, he was elected as the chairman of the budget committee at the 7th Supreme People's Assembly, and on April 2, he was awarded the Order of Kim Il Sung in commemoration of Kim Il Sung's 70th birthday by decree of the

. In April 1982, he served as a member of the funeral committee of Choe Hyon, in January 1983 of

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 in September 1983 of Kim Il-dae. At the 7th Plenary Session of the 6th CC of the Workers' Party of Korea held from June 15 to 17, 1983, he was dismissed as the secretary of the Secretariat. In March 1984, he served as a member of the funeral committee of Kim Il, and in April, he served as a member of the funeral committee of Oh Baek-ryong. In April 1986, he served as a member of the funeral commission of Kim Jwa-hyok () and Chon Se-bong (), and in October 1986 he was dispatched as a special envoy to

Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...

. When the 8th Supreme People's Assembly was convened in December 1986, he was elected as the chairman of the Chemical and Light Industry Committee, replacing Jong Mu-won. In August 1987, he served as a member of the funeral committee of Pak Yong-sun. On February 12, 1988, in accordance with the decree of the Central People's Committee, he was again appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Chemical and Light Industry Committee, and in April 1988 he served in the funeral committee of Yim Chun-chu. In May 1990, at the 9th Supreme People's Assembly, Jong Mu-won was appointed deputy prime minister and Minister of the Chemical Industry, a position from which he was dismissed on December 18, 1991. In 1995, he attended the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea, and in February 1996, he served as a member of the funeral committee of

Ri Sung-gi Ri Sung-gi, also often spelled Lee Sung-ki, Lee Seung-gi or Yi Sung-gi (October 1, 1905 – February 8, 1996), was a North Korean chemist. He is best remembered as one of the inventors of Vinalon. He has also been accused of involvement in Nort ...

. He only appeared again in 1997 for the appointment 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 ...

as general secretary.[북한] 김환-김창주 부총리 2년만에 공식보도 등장, 6/10/1997
/ref> However, there has been no news since then and he was dismissed as the deputy prime minister at the 10th Supreme People's Assembly in 1998. He died in May 2009 and was buried on the 28th of that month at the Patriotic Martyrs' Cemetery. The

Korean Central News Agency The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) () is the state news agency of North Korea. The agency portrays the views of the North Korean government for both domestic and foreign consumption. It was established on December 5, 1946, and now features ...

(KCNA) called Kim Hwan "Deputy Prime Minister Kim Hwan, for a long period of time working in important positions of the party and the state".

Bibliography

*Information Analysis Bureau of the Ministry of Unification, Data Collection of Key People in North Korea 2000 (Seoul: Ministry of Unification, 2000) *Hyun Seong-il, National Strategy and Power Elite in North Korea: Focusing on Executive Policy (Seoul, 2007) *Seo Dong-man, History of the establishment of the socialist system in North Korea 1945-1961 (Seoul, 2005).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Hwan Members of the 6th Supreme People's Assembly Workers' Party of Korea politicians Vice premiers of North Korea Members of the 6th Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea Members of the 8th Supreme People's Assembly Members of the 7th Supreme People's Assembly 1929 births 2009 deaths Place of death missing