Cho Myong-son

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Cho Myong-son
조명선
6th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
In office
14 October 1980 – ?
5th Supreme People's Assembly
In office
25 December 1972 – 17 December 1977
Personal details
Born(1923-11-27)November 27, 1923
Yodok County, Kankyōnan-dō, Korea, Empire of Japan
DiedJuly 8, 1994(1994-07-08) (aged 70)
Resting placeRevolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery
Political partyWorkers' Party of Korea
AwardsOrder of the National Flag, 1st class
Hero of the Republic (1992)
Order of Kim Il Sung (1972, 1982)

General Cho Myong-son (Korean조명선; Hanja趙明善; MRCho Myŏng-sŏn, 27 November 1923 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean official. He was a former guerilla fighter in the Korean independence movement.

Career[edit]

Prior to liberation from Japan, he was an anti-Japanese partisan and fought alongside Kim Il Sung, as a messenger.[1] He had enlisted in the Korean Peoples' Revolutionary Army in June 1937. Although he was initially unfamiliar with guerilla warfare and the forests, he adapted to the harsh conditions, and conducted numerous reconnaissance missions against the Japanese, which earned Kim's trust.[2] In 1945, he became a battalion commander, and in August 1950, he became a division commander. It is unknown when he was further promoted.[3]

In With the Century, he was named as a bodyguard who protected Kim during the anti-Japanese warfare and was described as extremely loyal. Due to his loyalty and his command skills, he was promoted to higher positions in the army. He was commended also for responsibly using the army for socialist construction after the Korean War and devoted to strengthening the army.[2]

He was a candidate to the 5th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and elected to the 5th Supreme People's Assembly in December 1972. In the same year, he received his first Order of Kim Il Sung, followed by another in 1982.[3]

In 1980, he was elected as a full member to the 6th Central Committee of the WPK.[4]

He became the deputy director of the Ministry of Social Security in 1982 and in 1989, the principal of Kang Kon Military Academy.[3]

Death[edit]

Cho Myong-son died on the same day as Kim Il Sung. His death was announced on July 24 and was described as 'unexpected'. He was buried at the Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery and a bust of him was erected at his grave. Condolences were delivered from both Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il in a funeral in Potonggang-guyok, the last person to receive condolences from Kim Il Sung.[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "항일빨치산 조명선, 김 주석과 같은 날 사망". 통일뉴스 (in Korean). 2001-07-30. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  2. ^ a b "수령에 대한 충실성을 한생토록 간직하고 산 참된 전사". Archived from the original on 2020-11-11.
  3. ^ a b c "북한지역정보넷". www.cybernk.net. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  4. ^ Directory of Officials of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. 1990.