Kim Won-hong (; born 17 July 1945) is 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 military general.

Early life and education

Kim was born in what is now North Korea's

North Hwanghae Province North Hwanghae Province (Hwanghaebuk-to; , lit. "north Yellow Sea province") is a province of North Korea. The province was formed in 1954 when the former Hwanghae Province was split into North and South Hwanghae. The provincial capital is S ...

. He graduated from the

Workers' Party of Korea The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), also called the Korean Workers' Party (KWP), is the sole ruling party of North Korea. Founded in 1949 from a merger between the Workers' Party of North Korea and the Workers' Party of South Korea, the WPK is ...

's Kim Il-sung Higher Party School and has been serving in 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 ...

since 1962, holding several positions in the army's

General Political Bureau The General Political Bureau (GPB) is a department of the Ministry of Defence, used by the leadership of the North Korean government to exert political control over the Korean People's Army (KPA). The GPB operates under the direction of the Centr ...

as well as commander of army corps. His first public mention was as a funeral committee member for late Marshal

Choe Kwang Marshal Choe Kwang (; July 17, 1918 – February 21, 1997) was a military leader in North Korea. Biography Kwang graduated from the Soviet Military School and was a captain in the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army until the end of the Japanese occ ...

in 1997. He was elected deputy to 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 ...

in 1998.

Career

Kim Won-hong rose to prominence in 2003, as he was appointed commander of the Military Security Command (the North Korean army's intelligence unit) following the death of General

Won Ung-hui Won Ung-hui (; 1939 – May 15, 2004) was a North Korean politician and military officer, served as commander of the Military Security Command of the Korean People's Army. He was a member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, ...

, who had been heading it since 1990. In April 2009, Kim was promoted to General and then migrated to the KPA General Political Bureau's Department, at the same time when

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 of North Korea from the death of his father Kim Il Sung in 1994 until his death in 2011, when he was ...

reportedly put

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 ...

in charge of the Ministry of State Security to which the Military Security Command is affiliated. Kim was also made a member of the Party's Central Committee and

Central Military Commission Central Military Commission may refer to: *Central Military Commission (China), the highest national defense organization in the People's Republic of China. *Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the highest body in Vietnam ...

in September 2010 and was reported to having a role in ensuring Kim Jong-un's succession. After Kim Jong-il's death and acting head of State Security Department,

U Tong-chuk U Tong-chuk or Woo Dong-cheuk (born August 8, 1942) is a North Korean official. He was a politburo member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. In addition, he was head of State Security Department from 2009 to 2012. After Feb ...

's purge, Kim Won-hong appeared as one of

's most trusted and supporting generals. He was made a

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 ...

member as well as the first minister of State Security in 25 years in April 2012. He was also elected member of the National Defence Commission. The South Korean government reported in February 2017 that Kim Won-hong was fired in mid-January after he was demoted to a one-star general from a four-star one on charges of corruption and abuse of power. He then disappeared from public view, but resurfaced in April 2017 for

Day of the Sun The Day of the Sun () is an annual public holiday in North Korea on 15 April, the birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung, founder and Eternal President of North Korea. It is the most important national holiday in the country, and is considered to ...

celebrations, bearing the four-star insignia on his uniform. In late November 2017, Kim Won-hong was named as one of two North Korean officials punished for "impure behavior." According to South Korean Rep. Kim Byunk-kee, Kim Won Hong, identified as deputy director of North Korea's General Political Bureau (GPB), was reportedly punished along with the director of that bureau, identified as Hwang Pyong So. The form of punishment was unspecified. Despite being punished he did appear at an April 2017 parade, though when

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 ...

walked by it appeared he was ignored possibly indicating he had lost some favor with him. In May 2017, he was appointed to Deputy Director of the KPA General Political Department. In September he was under investigation again and removed from the position with the WPK

Organization and Guidance Department The Organization and Guidance Department (OGD), or the Organizational Leadership Department (Official translation in North Korea) created in 1946, is a department of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the ruling party of ...

. During April and May 2018, he lost his positions as WPK Political Bureau, WPK Central Military Commission and the State Affairs Commission.¸

Awards and honors

The official portrait of Won illustrates Won wearing all the decorations awarded to him. 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 i ...

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 La ...

DPRK ribbon bar - Order of National Flag 1st Class

Order of the National Flag First Class, eight times FreedomAndIndependence1Ribbon

Order of Freedom and Independence First Class DPRK Order of Labor

Order of Korean Labour DPRK 20th Anniversary Order

Commemorative Order "Foundation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea" DPRK_20th_Anniversary_Order

Commemorative Order "50th Anniversary of the 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 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_Military_Service_Honor_2nd_Class

Order of Military Service Honour Second Class DPRK Order of Three Great Revolutions

Order of the Red Banner of Three Great Revolutions, twice DPRK ribbon bar - Order of National Flag 3rd Class

Order of the National Flag Third Class, three times DPRK_Order_of_Military_Service_Honor_3rd_Class

Order of Military Service Honour Third Class Commemorative Medal "The Foundation of the People's Republic of Korea" Medal For Military Merit, three times DPRK Parade Participant Medal

Commemorative Medal "Military Parade"

References

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Won-hong North Korean generals 1945 births Living people Members of the Supreme People's Assembly People from North Hwanghae Province Members of the 6th Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea 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