[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] Choeolhae Hyun, a marshal who was a key military figure under the Kim Jong-il regime, has passed away, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on the 20th.
Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party, is serving as chairman of the State Funeral Committee to oversee the state funeral, and unusually among high-ranking officials, the body is being laid in state at the 4·25 Cultural Hall, showing a high level of respect.
The agency reported, "We inform all party members, the people, and the soldiers of the Korean People's Army that Comrade Choeolhae Hyun, Marshal of the Korean People's Army and Chief Advisor to the Ministry of National Defense of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, has sadly passed away at 9 o'clock on May 19, 2022, at the age of 87 due to multiple organ failure."
KCNA evaluated, "Comrade Choeolhae Hyun was a loyal general warrior of the great leader Comrade Kim Il-sung and a faithful revolutionary comrade of the great leader Comrade Kim Jong-il and the respected Comrade Kim Jong-un."
It added, "During the arduous March of Hardship and the forced march period when our revolution had to endure severe trials, he served as a responsible official of the General Political Bureau of the People's Army, closely assisting Comrade Kim Jong-il's Songun revolutionary leadership."
The body was laid in state at the 4·25 Cultural Hall. A mourning hall will be set up until the 21st to receive visitors, and the funeral procession is scheduled for the morning of the 22nd, KCNA reported.
Typically, the exclusive funeral hall for high-ranking North Korean officials is the Pyongyang West Guesthouse, but the case of a senior official being laid in state at the 4·25 Cultural Hall is only the second, following former Minister of People's Armed Forces Kim Yong-chun.
KCNA stated, "Comrade Choeolhae Hyun's funeral will be held as a state funeral," and that the chairman of the State Funeral Committee will be General Secretary Kim.
Choeolhae Hyun was a core military figure holding positions such as member of the Political Bureau of the Workers' Party, member of the Central Committee, and member of the Central Military Commission.
He is known to have played an important role in Kim Jong-il's consolidation of control over the military. Under the Kim Jong-il regime, Choeolhae Hyun was also responsible for educating Kim Jong-un as his successor.
Since 2012, he mainly served as a senior military elder, holding positions such as advisor to the Rear Services General Bureau, chief advisor to the Ministry of People's Armed Forces, and chief advisor to the Ministry of National Defense. He was promoted to Vice Marshal in 2012 and Marshal in 2016, and received honors including the Order of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il.
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