North Korean House of Cards

Days after Jang Jong-nam was identified as the new Minister of the People’s
Armed Forces, 63 North Korean media identified Colonel General Jon Chang-bok
as the new First Vice Minister during coverage of Kim Jong-un’s visit to the
February 20 Foodstuffs Factory of the KPA. 64 Jon replaced Vice Marshal Hyon
Chol-hae, long-time Kim family associate and Kim Jong-il military aide. 65 Hyon
had been appointed First Vice Minister and Director of the KPA General Logistics
Department (GLD) in April 2012 and elevated to full membership in the Politburo
and the CMC. 66 Jon Chang-bok was Hyon’s predecessor as Director of the KPA
GLD and, in August 2011, 67 he led a delegation of KPA logistical personnel to China
and held talks with Defense Minister Liang Guanglie.
In media accounts of “special envoy” (teuk-sa) Choe Ryong-hae’s departure
for China on May 22, 2013, Kim Kyok-sik was identified as the Chief of the GSD,
replacing Hyon Yong-chol, who became the Commander of the Fifth Corps. 68 Kim
held this position from 2007 to 2009 when he was moved out of Pyongyang to
take over the Fourth Corps. This move, while highly unusual, appeared to bring
to a close the reorganization of the high command that began with Ri Yong-ho’s
dismissal. Hyon Yong-chol was most likely a placeholder until Kim Jong-un felt
comfortable enough in his relations with the military to put his close aide, Kim
Kyok-sik, into place. In addition, if the regime decided to shift away from “Military-
First” (Songun) and toward diplomacy and economic development, having a noted
hardliner with Kim Kyok-sik’s operational credentials as head of the GSD, to
compensate for Choe Ryong-hae’s lack of credentials, would make it harder for
Jong-un is drawing from the cohort of officers in their 50s, 60s, and the third generation to staff the
high command.
63 Jon Chang-bok’s profile began to rise in 2010 when Kim Jong-un made his official debut. He
was promoted to Colonel General in April 2010, and in September of that year, he was made a member of
the Central Committee of the KWP. He was a member of both the Jo Myong-rok and the Kim Jong-il
Funeral Committees. He began to accompany Kim Jong-un on visits to military and economic units in
April 2012.
64 KCNA, May 16, 2013. See also No Jae-Hyeon, “North Korea Replaces Vice Minister of
Defense,” Yonhap News Agency, May 17, 2013.
65 “North Korea replaces Vice Minister of People’s Armed Forces,” The Chosun Ilbo, May 17,
2013. There is only one first vice minister in North Korean ministries. Therefore, it appears that Hyon
Chol-hae might have retired. South Korean reports suggest that Hyon Chol-hae was replaced for health
reasons. However, he continued to appear at leadership functions.
66 Hyon (81) was regarded as one of the North’s top military figures who helped support Kim
Jong-un following the death of Kim Jong-il.
67 Jon Chang-bok was Director of the GLD from August 2011 to April 2012.
68 KCBS, May 22, 2013.
Committee for Human Rights in North Korea
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