Choe Hyon

Choe Hyon
최현
Choe Hyon in 1945
Vice Chairman of the National Defense Commission
In office 28 December 1972 – 9 April 1982 Serving with O Jin-u and O Paek-yong
Chairman	Kim Il Sung
Member of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea
In office 1970s–1982
Leader	Kim Il Sung
Minister of People's Armed Forces
In office 25 December 1972 – 15 December 1977
Premier	Pak Song-chol Kim Il
Preceded by	Kim Chang-bong
Succeeded by	O Jin-u
Personal details
Born	(1907-05-06)6 May 1907 Hunchun, Jilin, China
Died	9 April 1982(1982-04-09) (aged 74) Pyongyang, North Korea[citation needed]
Citizenship	North Korean
Nationality	Korean
Political party	Workers' Party of Korea
Other political affiliations	Chinese Communist Party (before 1945)
Children	Choe Ryong-hae Choe Gop-dan
Military service
Allegiance	Korean People's Army
Years of service	1946–82
Commands	II Corps 1st Infantry Division
Battles/wars	See battles Korean independence movement Pacification of Manchukuo Battle of Pochonbo Battle of Musan Battle of Gansanbong Chinese Civil War World War II Pacific War Korean War Battle of Ongjin Battle of Pusan Perimeter First and Second Battles of Wonju

Choe Hyon (Korean: 최현, 6 May 1907 – 9 April 1982), also known as Sai Ken (after the Japanese pronunciation of his name),^[1][2] was a North Korean general and politician.

Born in China to ethnic Korean parents, Choe fought in the anti-Japanese struggle from a young age. He became one of the most important military leaders of the armed resistance in Manchuria. He led troops in the Battle of Pochonbo. This was later attributed to Kim Il Sung in North Korean propaganda. The two were, however, close friends during and after the guerrilla years. After the liberation of Korea, the guerrillas chose Kim among themselves to be the leader of North Korea, even though Choe was his senior and had a higher rank in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

In North Korea, Choe assumed command of the highly strategic Kanggye Regiment of the 1st Division in the newly organized Korean People's Army (KPA). During the Korean War, he commanded the KPA II Corps. After the war, Choe was given posts in the politics of North Korea, including the office of Minister of People's Armed Forces, which he held from 1968 until 1976. During this time, several ex-guerrillas were purged (see Kapsan Faction Incident), but Choe maintained his position thanks to his personal relationship with Kim Il Sung.