Yon Hyong-muk
Encyclopedia
Yon Hyong-muk, also spelt as Yong Hyong-muk (November 3, 1931 – October 23, 2005) was a longserving politician in North Korea
and at the height of his career the most powerful person in that country outside the Kim family. He was premier
of North Korea from 1989 until 1992 .
He was born in Kyongwon County and had a strong revolutionary background in his family. Although details about his early childhood are not well known, it is known than Yon was educated in Czechoslovakia
and by the 1950s he was firmly established within the hierarchy of the Korea Workers' Party
, which became the only political party in North Korea after the Korean War
ended. By 1968, after one of several purge
s to occur during Kim Il Sung's long reign, Yon was established as one of Kim's most trusted comrades and had become a secretary of the Central Committee of the Party.
During the 1970s, Yon further advanced in the Party and by the middle 1980s he was regarded as the fourth most powerful person in North Korea after Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong-Il
, and veteran marshal and defence minister O Chin-u
. He was a candidate member of the Politburo
from the early 1980s and became premier of North Korea in 1989 . During this era, Yon served as Minister of Heavy Industry and this cemented his major role in the North's large armaments sector.
In this period, as Kim Il Sung and O Chin-u
were both already past eighty, Yon took an important role in relations between North and South Korea
. He worked quite hard in this field as premier and was regarded as the chief negotiator behind the Agreement on Reconciliation, Nonaggression, Exchanges, and Cooperation (a.k.a. the "South-North Basic Agreement") of 1991. For the rest of the 1990s Yon was the chief figure behind efforts to reconcile the two Koreas. However, by the 2000s Yon was declining in health and his role in North Korean politics had become largely ceremonial by the time he died - presumably of pancreatic cancer
for which he had received treatment in Russia
in 2004 at the prestigious hospital, the well protected VIP Central Clinical Hospital
. In 2005 he died.
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
and at the height of his career the most powerful person in that country outside the Kim family. He was premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
of North Korea from 1989 until 1992 .
He was born in Kyongwon County and had a strong revolutionary background in his family. Although details about his early childhood are not well known, it is known than Yon was educated in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
and by the 1950s he was firmly established within the hierarchy of the Korea Workers' Party
Workers' Party of Korea
The Workers' Party of Korea is the ruling Communist party of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , commonly known as North Korea. It is also called the Korean Workers' Party...
, which became the only political party in North Korea after the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
ended. By 1968, after one of several purge
Purge
In history, religion, and political science, a purge is the removal of people who are considered undesirable by those in power from a government, from another organization, or from society as a whole. Purges can be peaceful or violent; many will end with the imprisonment or exile of those purged,...
s to occur during Kim Il Sung's long reign, Yon was established as one of Kim's most trusted comrades and had become a secretary of the Central Committee of the Party.
During the 1970s, Yon further advanced in the Party and by the middle 1980s he was regarded as the fourth most powerful person in North Korea after Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong-Il
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il, also written as Kim Jong Il, birth name Yuri Irsenovich Kim born 16 February 1941 or 16 February 1942 , is the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea...
, and veteran marshal and defence minister O Chin-u
O Chin-u
Marshal O Chin-u was a soldier and politician of North Korea. He was the Minister of Armed Forces for many years until his death in February 1995. O was the third most powerful person in North Korea, after Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il...
. He was a candidate member of the Politburo
Politburo
Politburo , literally "Political Bureau [of the Central Committee]," is the executive committee for a number of communist political parties.-Marxist-Leninist states:...
from the early 1980s and became premier of North Korea in 1989 . During this era, Yon served as Minister of Heavy Industry and this cemented his major role in the North's large armaments sector.
In this period, as Kim Il Sung and O Chin-u
O Chin-u
Marshal O Chin-u was a soldier and politician of North Korea. He was the Minister of Armed Forces for many years until his death in February 1995. O was the third most powerful person in North Korea, after Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il...
were both already past eighty, Yon took an important role in relations between North and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. He worked quite hard in this field as premier and was regarded as the chief negotiator behind the Agreement on Reconciliation, Nonaggression, Exchanges, and Cooperation (a.k.a. the "South-North Basic Agreement") of 1991. For the rest of the 1990s Yon was the chief figure behind efforts to reconcile the two Koreas. However, by the 2000s Yon was declining in health and his role in North Korean politics had become largely ceremonial by the time he died - presumably of pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
for which he had received treatment in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in 2004 at the prestigious hospital, the well protected VIP Central Clinical Hospital
Central Clinical Hospital
The Central Clinical Hospital of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation is a heavily-guarded facility seven miles northwest of the Kremlin in an exclusive, wooded suburban area known as Kuntsevo. It's considered to be the best hospital in Russia and one of the best hospitals in...
. In 2005 he died.