Jo Myong-rok
![]() | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2010) |
Jo Myong-lok | |
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First Vice Chairman of the National Defence Commission | |
In office 1998 – November 2010 | |
Chairman | Kim Jong-il |
Preceded by | O Jin-u |
Succeeded by | Position abolished |
Personal details | |
Born | 12 July 1928 Yonsa County, North Hamgyong, Japanese Korea |
Died | 6 November 2010 (age 82) |
Military service | |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Branch/service | ![]() |
Years of service | 1950–2010 |
Rank | ![]() (Vice Marshal) |
Korean name | |
Chosŏn'gŭl | 조명록 |
Hancha | 趙明祿 |
Revised Romanization | Jo Myeong-rok |
McCune–Reischauer | Cho Myŏngrok |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/86/SD_William_Cohen_meets_with_Jo_Myong_Rok_in_the_Pentagon.jpg/220px-SD_William_Cohen_meets_with_Jo_Myong_Rok_in_the_Pentagon.jpg)
Jo Myong-lok (12 July 1928 – 6 November 2010)[1] was a North Korean military officer who held the military rank Chasu (Vice Marshal). In 1998, he was appointed First Vice-Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea,[2] Director of the Korean People's Army General Political Bureau. Previously, he was the commander of the air defence forces.
Life and career[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Cho_Myong-nok_and_Bill_Clinton.jpg/220px-Cho_Myong-nok_and_Bill_Clinton.jpg)
Jo was born in Yonsa County, North Hamgyong province, on 12 July 1928 and he joined the Korean People's Army in December 1950.[3] He was a graduate of the Manchuria Aviation School and Soviet Air Academy.[3]
After serving as a pilot in the Korean War, Jo was promoted to major general in 1954 and lieutenant general in 1976. Meanwhile, he held other important posts, such as commanding officer of Pyongyang's Air Defence Command (1975–1977), and commanding officer of the KPA Air Force from 1977 to 1995. At the 6th Party Congress in 1980, Jo Myong-rok was elected both member of the 6th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (he was elected an alternate member of the 5th Central Committee in 1975) and the 6th Central Military Commission. In 1992 he was promoted to general; in 1994 he was part of Kim Il-sung's funeral committee; in 1995 he was promoted to Vice Marshal and director of the KPA General Political Bureau.
He made a key speech commemorating the third anniversary of Kim Il-sung's death in special ceremonies on 8 July 1997.[4] By 1998, when he was also appointed to the position of First Vice Chairman of the National Defence Commission, he was the second most powerful person in the country, ranking immediately beneath Kim Jong-il himself. In 2000, he traveled to Washington, D.C. on a goodwill mission.[5] During the visit, he met with President Bill Clinton, his counterpart William Cohen, and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.[6]
Death[]
On 6 November 2010, Jo died of a heart attack at the age of 82,[1] one month after he was elected as member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau.[7] His funeral committee was chaired by Kim Jong-il and attended by more than a hundred political and military figures, including Kim Jong-un and Supreme People's Assembly President Kim Yong-nam. He lay in state in the (home of the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea) in Pyongyang and was buried in the Patriotic Martyrs' Cemetery.
Against expectations, his successor was not elected at the 4th Session of the 12th Supreme People's Assembly in April 2011. There was speculation that Kim Jong-il was deliberately leaving the post vacant in order to promote his son, Kim Jong-un, when he was ready.[citation needed]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b 北韓將領趙明祿逝世 [North Korea General Jo Myong-rok passed away] (in Chinese). RTHK. 7 November 2010. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
- ^ "Pyongyang shuffles its military, not policies". Asia Times. 5 May 2007. Archived from the original on 8 May 2007. Retrieved 12 June 2010.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Profiles of Presidium and Members of Political Bureau" Archived 26 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine, KCNA, 29 September 2010.
- ^ "Activities of DPRK VMAR Cho Myong Rok Assessed," Seoul Yonhap, Internet Version, 29 September 2000.
- ^ "Recent notable deaths".
- ^ "10/10/00 Albright on Visit of His Excellency Vice Marshall Jo Myong Rok". 1997-2001.state.gov. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
- ^ 北朝鮮の軍ナンバー2が死去、国葬へ [Number 2 of North Korea Army died, national ceremony to be held.]. Yomiuri Shimbun; YOMIURI ONLINE (in Japanese). 7 November 2010. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
External links[]
- 1928 births
- 2010 deaths
- People from North Hamgyong
- North Korean military personnel
- National Heroes of North Korea
- Members of the 6th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
- Members of the 6th Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea
- Members of the 6th Presidium of the Workers' Party of Korea