Jang Song-thaek | |
|---|---|
| 장성택 | |
 | |
| Vice Chairman of the National Defence Commission | |
| In office 7 June 2010 – 8 December 2013 | |
| Supreme Leader | Kim Jong Il Kim Jong Un |
| Preceded by | Kim Yong-chun |
| Succeeded by | Choe Ryong-hae |
| Minister of State Security | |
| In office 4 November 1999 – 8 December 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Kim Jong Il |
| Succeeded by | U Tong-chuk |
| Chairman of the State Physical Culture and Sports Guidance Commission | |
| In office 4 November 2012 – 8 December 2013 | |
| Premier | Pak Pong-ju |
| Supreme Leader | Kim Jong Un |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Choe Ryong-hae |
| Chief of the Central Administrative Department of Workers' Party | |
| In office 11 October 2007 – 8 December 2013 | |
| Supreme Leader | Kim Jong Il Kim Jong Un |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Kim Ki-nam |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 January 1946 Chongjin, northern Korea |
| Died | 12 December 2013 (aged 67) Pyongyang, North Korea |
| Cause of death | Execution by firing squad |
| Political party | Workers' Party of Korea (expelled 2013)[1] |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Jang Kum-song (1977–2006) |
| Relatives |
|
| Korean name | |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 장성택 |
| Hancha | 張成澤 |
| Revised Romanization | Jang Seongtaek |
| McCune–Reischauer | Chang Sŏngt'aek |
Jang Song-thaek[a] (January or February 1946[2] – 12 December 2013) was a North Korean politician. He was married to Kim Kyong-hui, the only daughter of North Korean premier Kim Il Sung and his first wife Kim Jong Suk, and only sister of North Korean general secretary Kim Jong Il. He was therefore the uncle (by marriage) of the current leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un.[3][4]
The extent of Jang Song-thaek's power and position has not been confirmed in the West. However, in 2008 South Korean government officials and academic North Korea experts suggested that he had de facto leadership over North Korea while Kim Jong Il's health was declining and when Kim subsequently died.[5] Jang was a vice-chairman of the National Defence Commission, a position considered second only to that of the Supreme Leader.[6] He is believed to have been promoted to four-star general around the time of Kim Jong-Il's death in December 2011, as his first appearance in uniform was while visiting Kim lying in state.[7] Jang was considered a "key policy adviser" to Kim Jong Un.[8]
In December 2013, Jang was abruptly accused of being a counter-revolutionary and was stripped of all his posts and expelled from the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). His photos were removed from official media and his image digitally removed from photos with other North Korean leaders.[9] On 13 December, North Korean state media announced he had been executed by firing squad.
- ^ "N. Korean media confirm leader's uncle Jang Song Thaek ousted" Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, upi.com, 8 December 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
- ^ Jang's exact birthdate is unclear. The North Korea Strategic Information Service Center reports his birthdate as 22 January 1946 (see "Volume 2: Jang Song Thaek's background and his estimated power". Archived from the original on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link), North Korea Strategic Information Service Center, 12 December 2013.) Cheong Seong Chang of the Sejong Institute also cites the same date. Cheong Seong Chang, The Rise and Rise of Mr. Jang Archived 30 August 2023 at the Wayback Machine, DailyNK, 7 February 2013. An April 2013 report from the official Korean Central News Agency also cites 22 January 1946 date. Brief History of Member of Presidium, Members and Alternate Members of Political Bureau of C.C. Archived 25 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine, WPK Elected to Fill Vacancies, Korean Central News Agency, 11 April 2012. However "until KCNA published an official biography upon his election to NDC Vice Chairman in June 2010, Chang's birthday has been reported as 2 February 1946 and 6 February 1946". Jang Song-thaek Archived 30 August 2023 at the Wayback Machine, North Korean Leadership Watch. - ^ 장성택(張成澤) (in Korean). Information Center on North Korea, Ministry of Unification, Republic of Korea. Archived from the original on 8 February 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2007.
- ^ "North Korean media confirms promotion of Jang Song-thaek to senior post". Yonhap News Agency. 13 December 2007. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2008.
- ^ Ben Webster (8 November 2008). "North Korea 'is being run by Kim Jong Il's brother-in-law'". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
- ^ Choe, Sang-hun (7 June 2010). "N. Korea Reshuffle Seen as Part of Succession Plan". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
- ^ Andrew Salmon; David Blair (28 December 2011). "Kim Jong-il funeral: Kim Jong-un steps up as nation mourns". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ "North Korea May Take Action to Jolt Economy, Analysts Say". The New York Times. 5 September 2012. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
- ^ "Der retuschierte Onkel". Der Spiegel. Hamburg. 10 December 2013. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
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