Hwang Pyong-so | |
|---|---|
| 황병서 | |
.jpg) Hwang inOctober 2014 | |
| Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission | |
| In office 11 April 2012 – 10 January 2021 | |
| Supreme Leader | Kim Jong Un |
| Preceded by | Choe Ryong-hae |
| Director of theGeneral Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army | |
| In office 26 April 2014 – 9 February 2018 | |
| Supreme Leader | Kim Jong Un |
| Preceded by | Choe Ryong-hae |
| Succeeded by | Kim Jong-gak |
| Vice Chairman of the State Affairs Commission | |
| In office 29 June 2016 – 9 February 2018 | |
| Supreme Leader | Kim Jong Un |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Choe Ryong-hae |
| Vice Chairman of the National Defence Commission | |
| In office 9 April 2014 – 29 June 2016 | |
| Supreme Leader | Kim Jong Un |
| Preceded by | Choe Ryong-hae |
| Succeeded by | Commission abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1946 (age 78–79) |
| Political party | Workers' Party of Korea |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  North Korea |
| Branch/service |  Korean People's Army |
| Rank |  Ch'asu(Vice Marshal) |
| Korean name | |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 황병서 |
| Hancha | |
| Revised Romanization | Hwang Byeongseo |
| McCune–Reischauer | Hwang Pyŏngsŏ |
Hwang Pyong-so (born c. 1946 or 1949)[5][6][7] is aNorth Korean general and politician who held the rank ofVice Marshal (Korean:차수,Ch'asu) in theKorean People's Army (KPA). He was a member of thePresidium of theWorkers' Party of Korea and the top-ranking vice-chairman of theState Affairs Commission.
Hwang has probably spent most of his career in theOrganization and Guidance Department (OGD),[8] gaining reputation as the organization'séminence grise.[9] In September 2010, Hwang was appointed an alternate member of theParty Central Committee, holding the position of deputy head of the OGD since the early 2000s with a military and security portfolio. In March 2014 he was elected to theSupreme People's Assembly during the2014 SPA election; during the same month, he was identified as the first vice-director of the party organization department.[8]
On April 28, 2014 Korean Central News Agency reported that theCentral Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea andNational Defense Commission promoted Hwang to the rank of vice marshal in theKorean People's Army (KPA) on April 26. He was first seen wearing the four stars of a full general on April 15, meaning he moved up two ranks – from colonel general in a short time. In an April 27 KCNA report on an artillery drill, Hwang was referred to for the first time as a member of the party Central Military Commission.[10] Later on May 1 he was revealed to be the new chief of theGeneral Political Bureau of the KPA, considered the most senior position in the military after the supreme commander. On September 25 he also replaced former No. 2Choe Ryong-hae in his last military capacity as first vice-chairman of theNational Defence Commission, retaining the position as the NDC was transformed into theState Affairs Commission on 29 June 2016. On 18 February 2015 he was elevated to the top Presidium during a Politburo meeting. Hwang Pyong-so is seen as a key aide toKim Jong Un.
Hwang is widely reported to have been a university classmate of Kim's auntKim Kyong-hui and reportedly maintained close ties with Kim Jong Un's motherKo Yong-hui.[11]
Hwang's appearance at the closing ceremony of the2014 Asian Games in the absence of Kim Jong Un, and his subsequent trip to South Korea, led to speculation in the Western press about his role within the North Korean government.[12][13]
In November 2017, according to South Korean intelligence, Hwang was facing unspecified punishment.[14] On 9 February 2018,North Korean media confirmed that Hwang Pyong-so had been replaced byKim Jong-gak as the Director of the General Political Bureau of the KPA.[15] Hwang was soon rehabilitated, reappearing in public in February 2018.[16]
In December 2018, the South Korean Ministry of Unification reported that Hwang held the post of First Vice-chairman of theOrganization and Guidance Department.[17]
A picture of Hwang shows him wearing the ribbons to all decorations awarded to him.[18]
 | ||
 | | |
| |  |
| | |
|  | |
|  |  |
 | | |
| | |
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Director of theKPA General Political Bureau 2014–2018 | Succeeded by |
