Choe Kwang

{{Short description|North Korean politician (1918–1997)}} {{about|a North Korean general|the South Korean economist and former health minister|Choi Kwang (economist)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}} {{family name hatnote|Choe||lang=Korean}} {{more footnotes needed|date=June 2013}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = |name = Choe Kwang |image = Choe Kwang.jpg

|native_name = 최광 |birth_date = July 17, 1918 |birth_place = Kankyōhoku Province (North Hamgyong Province), Korea, Empire of Japan |death_date = {{death date and age|1997|2|21|1918|7|17}} |death_place = Pyongyang, North Korea | allegiance = {{Flag|North Korea}} | rank = 25px Marshal of the Korean People's Army | branch = {{nobr|{{Armed forces|North Korea}}}} | commands = 1st Infantry Division | battles = {{hidden |See battles | Korean independence movement

Korean War * Battle of Gorangpo * Battle of Kaesong–Munsan * Battle of Bongilcheon * Battle of Siheung-Anyang-Suwon * Battle of Chungju-Suanbo * Battle of Ihwaryeong-Mungyeong * Battle of Sangju (1950) * Battle of Hamchang | module = {{Infobox Korean name/auto | child = yes | hangul = %최광 | hanja = 崔光 | image = | caption = }} }} }} Marshal '''Choe Kwang''' ({{Korean|hangul=최광|hanja=崔光}};<ref>{{Cite web |script-title=ko:최광(남성) |url=https://nkinfo.unikorea.go.kr/nkp/prsn/view.do;jsessionid=U2wOrPGGep3s-ZmtJdlgwZyYMLiD8nHMKUtfHioE.ins22?menuId=PEOPLE_86&prsnMngNo=1287 |website=북한정보포털}}</ref> July 17, 1918 – February 21, 1997) was a military leader in North Korea.

==Biography== Kwang graduated from the Soviet Military School and was a captain in the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army until the end of the Japanese occupation. In February 1948, he took office as the 1st Division Commander of the Korean People's Army. In September 1948, he was elected to the Supreme People's Assembly. In June 1950, the 13th Division Commander of the Chosun People's Army and in October 1952, Kang Kun-Gun School (currently Kang-Gun General School) was inaugurated. In October 1953, he became the commander of the 5th Corps of the Chosun People's Army, and in January 1954, he was promoted to Lieutenant General of the Chosun People's Army and became the Chief of Staff of the 1st Corps.

In April 1956, he was elected as a candidate for the Central Committee of the Party at the 3rd Party Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea. In June 1958, he became the commander of the Air Force, and in June 1960, he was promoted to the Korean People's Army. In September 1961, he was elected as the central member of the party at the 4th Party Congress. In September 1962 he became vice of the National Security Agency (Abolished in 1972 and reorganized into the Ministry of People's Armed Forces). In February 1963, he was promoted to Captain of the Korean People's Army and became the Chief of General of Staff. On October 2, 1966, he was elected as a candidate for the Political Committee of the Party at the 2nd Party Delegates' Meeting, and in December 1967 he was elected to the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly. However, in March 1969, he was dismissed and became a mining worker.

In April 1976, he was reinstated while taking office as chairman of the People's Committee of the South Hwanghae Province. At the 6th Party Congress in October 1980, he was elected to the Central Committee of the WPK and the candidate member of the Political Bureau. In March 1981, he became Deputy Prime Minister Jung Moo-won. In April 1982, Jung Moo-won was inaugurated as Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Fisheries Committee. On February 12, 1988, he withdrew from the deputy prime minister and transferred to the military. He was inaugurated as the Chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army<ref name=bio>{{Cite news |title=Brief biography of Choe Kwang |agency=Korean Central News Agency |date=February 22, 1997 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402103859/http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/1997/9702/news2/22.htm#4 |url= http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/1997/9702/news2/22.htm }}</ref> and a member of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea.

On May 23, 1990, he was elected a member of the Party's Political Bureau at the 18th Plenary Session of the 6th Party Central Committee, and took office as vice-president of the National Defence Commission . In 1991, he was elected as a member of the Party's Central Military Committee, and on April 20, 1992, he was granted the title of Deputy General of the Korean People's Army. On October 8, 1995, he was appointed Minister of the People's Armed Forces.<ref name="Publicationslimited2001">{{cite book|last1=Publications|first1=Europa|last2=limited|first2=Europa Publications|title=A Political Chronology of Central, South and East Asia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TtwTXyM65J4C&pg=PA153|year=2001|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=978-1-85743-114-8|page=153}}</ref> and was awarded the rank of Marshal of the Korean People's Army.

He was one of three military officers in the North Korean Armed Forces who reached rank of ''Wonsu'' (Marshal) with the title "Marshal of the Korean People's Army".<ref name=bio/>

==Death and funeral== Choe died of a heart attack on February 21, 1997.<ref name=dies>{{Cite news |title=Choe Kwang dies |agency=Korean Central News Agency |date=February 22, 1997 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402103859/http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/1997/9702/news2/22.htm#6 |url= http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/1997/9702/news2/22.htm }}</ref> On his funeral committee were:<ref>{{Cite web |script-title=ko:북한 인민무력부장 崔光 사망 |work=The Dong-A Ilbo |date=February 22, 1997 |access-date=February 12, 2019 |url= http://news.donga.com/View?gid=7234446&date=19970222 |language=ko }}</ref>

{{div col}} # Kim Jong Il # Ri Jong-ok # Pak Song-chol # Kim Yong-ju # Kim Yong-nam # Ri Ul-sol # Jo Myong-rok # Kim Yong-chun # Kye Ung-thae # Chon Pyong-ho # Han Song-ryong # Kim Chol-man # Choe Thae-bok # Yang Hyong-sop # Chon Un-sop # Hong Song-nam # Hong Sok-hyong # Kim Kuk-thae # Kim Ki-nam # Kim Jung-rin # Kim Yong-sun # Yun Ki-bok # Kim Kwang-chin # Paek Hak-rim # Kim Ik-hyon # Ri Tu-ik # Choe In-tok # Hwang Sun-hui # Choe Song-suk # Kim Yong-yon # Ri Jong-san # Kim Jong-kak # O Ryong-pang # Ri Pyong-uk # Jong Chang-ryol # Ri Yong-su # Kim Ha-kyu # Hyon Chol-hae # Won Ung-hui # Pak Jae-kyong # Ri Myong-su # Kim Tae-sik # Ok Pong-ran # Kim Myong-kuk # Kim Kyok-sik # Chang Song-u # Chon Chin-su # Ju Sang-song # Kim Il-chol # Kang Tong-yon # Pak Ki-song # Ri Yong-chol # Kim Yong-un # Chon Jae-son # Yo Chun-sok # Kim Song-kyu # Jong Ho-kyun # Paek Sang-ho # Ri Thaek-chol # O Kum-chol # Ri Yong-hwan # Kim Hyong-ryong # Chon Chi-ryon # Choe Sang-ryo # Ri Pyong-sam # Chi Yong-jun # Kim Ki-son # Pak Sung-won # An Pi-tuk # Ri Pong-ju # Kim Sung-yon # Ri Chang-han # Jong Thae-kun # Yom Chol-song # Pyon Sang-mo # Kim Mun-hong # Ri Chu-ul # Han Tae-myon # Son Chol-ju # Kim Sang-thae # Choe Ho-jun # Tong Yong-il # Kim Ki-nam # Paek Bo-kyong # Kim Tu-nam {{div col end}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=O Jin-u}} {{s-ttl|title=Minister of People's Armed Forces|years=1995–1997}} {{s-aft|after=Kim Il-chol}} |- {{s-bef|before=Office established}} {{s-ttl|title=Vice Chairmen of the National Defence Commission|years=1990–1997}} {{s-aft|after=Jo Myong-rok}} |- {{s-bef|before=}} {{s-ttl|title=Vice Minister of People's Armed Forces|years=1962–}} {{s-aft|after=}} |- {{s-bef|before=}} {{s-ttl|title= Vice Premier of North Korea|years= March 1981– May 24, 1990}} {{s-aft|after=}} |- {{s-mil}} {{s-bef|before=Kim Chang-bong}} {{s-ttl|title=Chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army|years=1962–1968}} {{s-aft|after=O Jin-u}} {{s-bef|before=O Kuk-ryol}} {{s-ttl|title=Chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army|years=1988–1995}} {{s-aft|after=Kim Yong-chun}} |- {{s-bef|before=}} {{s-ttl|title= commander of the korean peoples air force Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force |years=1958–}} {{s-aft|after=}} |- {{s-end}} {{Commanders of the Korean People's Army}} {{North Korean marshals}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Choe, Kwang}} Category:1918 births Category:1997 deaths Category:North Korean generals Category:Defence ministers of North Korea Category:Vice premiers of North Korea Category:North Korean military personnel of the Korean War Category:Members of the 6th Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea Category:Alternate members of the 6th Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea Category:Members of the 5th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Category:Members of the 6th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Category:Members of the 1st Supreme People's Assembly Category:Members of the 2nd Supreme People's Assembly Category:Members of the 3rd Supreme People's Assembly Category:Members of the 4th Supreme People's Assembly Category:Members of the 5th Supreme People's Assembly Category:Members of the 6th Supreme People's Assembly Category:Members of the 7th Supreme People's Assembly Category:Members of the 8th Supreme People's Assembly Category:Members of the 9th Supreme People's Assembly Category:People from North Hamgyong Province Category:People of 88th Separate Rifle Brigade Category:Heroes of the Republic (North Korea)