Kim Won-hong

General Kim Won-hong (김원홍) (17 July 1945) is a North Korean politician and military leader.

Kim was born in North Hwanghae Province on 17 July 1945. He graduated from the Workers' Party of Korea's Kim Il-sung Higher Party School and has been serving in the Korean People's Army since 1962, holding several positions in the army's General Political Bureau as well as commander of army corps. His first public mention was as a funeral committee member for late Marshal Choe Kwang in 1997. He was elected deputy to the Supreme People's Assembly in 1998.^[1]

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, 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 Organisation Department, at the same time when Kim Jong-il reportedly put Kim Jong-un in charge of the Ministry of State Security to which the Military Security Command is affiliated.^[2] Kim was also made a member of the Party's Central Committee and Central Military Commission in September 2010 and was reported to having a role in ensuring Kim Jong-un's succession.^[3]

After Kim Jong-il's death and acting head of State Security U Tong-chuk's purge, Kim Won-hong appeared as one of Kim Jong-un's most trusted and supporting generals.^[4][5] He was made a Politburo 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.

He sang at an International Women's Day concert attended by Kim Jong-un on March 2012.

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