Impact Player: Hyon Yong Chol

General Hyon Yong Chol is the new Minister of the People’s Armed Forces, the North Korean equivalent to a secretary of defense. Hyon is the fourth person to hold the position since Kim Jong-un took power in 2011 and replaces Jang Jong-nam, the outgoing minister who was appointed in May 2013. From July 2012 to May 2013, Hyon was the Chief of the General Staff of the Korean People’s Army (KPA), the top military post in charge of KPA units and the day-to-day operations of the military. Additionally, Hyon is an alternate member of the Korean Workers’ Party (KWP) Political Bureau, a member of the KWP’s Central Committee and the National Defense Commission (NDC).

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