Kim Kyok-sik facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kim Kyok-sik
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| Born | 5 October 1938 Chongpyong County, South Hamgyong Province, North Korea |
| Died | 10 May 2015 (aged 76) |
| Allegiance | North Korea |
| Service/ |
Korean People's Army |
| Korean name | |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | |
| Hancha | |
| Revised Romanization | Kim Gyeoksik |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kim Kyŏksik |
General Kim Kyok-sik (김격식) was an important military leader from North Korea. He was born on October 5, 1938, and passed away on May 10, 2015. He served as the defence minister of North Korea, which means he was in charge of the country's military forces.
Contents
Kim Kyok-sik: A Military Leader
Kim Kyok-sik was born in 1938. He attended the Kim Il-sung Military Academy, a top military school in North Korea. In the 1970s, he worked in Syria as a military attaché. This role meant he was a military officer who represented North Korea in another country.
Rising Through the Ranks
By the 1980s, Kim Kyok-sik returned to North Korea. He became an official in the Korean People's Army, which is North Korea's armed forces. In 1990, he was elected as a deputy to the Supreme People's Assembly. This is similar to being a member of parliament in other countries.
In 1991, he became a member of the Workers' Party of Korea's Central Committee. The Workers' Party of Korea is the ruling party in North Korea. He was promoted to colonel-general in 1992.
Key Military Commands
Kim Kyok-sik was promoted to general in 1997. In October 1994, he took command of the 2nd Army Corps. He held this important position until April 2007. At that time, he was appointed Chief of the General Staff. This is one of the highest military positions.
He was replaced as Chief of the General Staff in February 2009. After this, Kim Kyok-sik was appointed commander of the 4th Army Corps. He was widely believed to have commanded military drills near the Northern Limit Line in November 2009. He was also believed to have commanded the shelling of Yeonpyeongdo in November 2010.
Later Career and Passing
In August 2011, Kim Kyok-sik became the vice-minister of the People's Armed Forces. He was then promoted to minister in November 2012. This made him the top military leader in North Korea. In March 2013, he became an alternate member of the Politburo. The Politburo is a powerful committee within the Workers' Party of Korea.
After serving for six months as minister, he was replaced in May 2013. However, he was quickly reappointed as Chief of the KPA General Staff. He was replaced again in August 2013. Kim Kyok-sik passed away in 2015 due to acute respiratory failure.
See also
In Spanish: Kim Kyok-sik para niños
