O Jin-u
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O Jin-u (Lua error: Internal error: The interpreter exited with status 1.; March 8, 1917 – February 25, 1995) was a North Korean general and politician. He was a close associate of Kim Il Sung. O served under Kim in the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, and then as commander of Kim's bodyguard. He was a founding officer of the Korean People's Army (KPA), fought in the Korean War, and was a Vice-Chairman of the National Defence Commission from 1972 until dying in 1995. He was considered to be the most powerful person in North Korea after Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, a hardliner, and a strong supporter of North Korea's nuclear program.
Career
[edit | edit source]O was born in Bukcheong, South Gyeongsang Province, to a poor peasant family. In 1933, joined anti-Japanese forces in Manchuria and began a long association with Kim Il Sung. They joined the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army in 1938, returning to Korea in 1945 as part of the 88th Separate Rifle Brigade to found North Korea. O became the leader of the Pyongyang Police Station and Kim's bodyguard. In February 1948, he transferred to the new KPA.Lua error: Internal error: The interpreter exited with status 1.
O started the Korean War as commander of the 43rd Division. He led the 766th Independent Infantry Regiment during the Battle of the Pusan Perimeter. After the war he was rapidly promoted through the military and political hierarchy. He was appointed chief of staff of the Korean People's Air Force in 1958, vice-minister of the Ministry of People's Security in 1962, General in 1963, director of the KPA General Political Bureau in 1967 and Chief of the General Staff in 1968. In the Workers' Party of Korea, he joined the Central Committee in 1954, the Political Committee in 1966, the Secretariat in 1968 and the Presidium in 1977.Lua error: Internal error: The interpreter exited with status 1.
O Jin-u is held responsible for the Korean axe murder incident and Rangoon bombing as head of the KPA. He helped Kim Il Sung maintain control of the military. O initially supported Kim Pyong-il succession Kim Il Sung; Kim Jong Il did not have military experience and did not look like an orthodox communist to O. O's switch to support Kim Jong Il was likely the decisive factor in securing the latter's succession. According to top officials, O "proposed" as Kim Il Sung heir at a Central Committee plenum in 1974. and helped him take control of the military;[1] O championed Kim Jong Il's cause, particularly within the military.[2]
A deputy to the Supreme People's Assembly since 1960, O was appointed member of the top Central People’s CommitteeLua error: Internal error: The interpreter exited with status 1. immediately after its establishment in 1972, as well as vice-chairman of the National Defence Commission and Minister of the People's Armed Forces in 1976. He was also promoted to Vice Marshal in 1985 and Marshal in 1992, one of only three military officers in the North Korean Federal Forces to be granted the rank.
After Kim Jong Il was made Chairman of the National Defence Commission in 1993, O replaced him as its first vice-chairman. In 1990, after the collapse of the socialist bloc, he led the emergency system. He also was the second-ranking member of the Kim Il-sung funeral committee in 1994, immediately beneath Kim Jong Il. He was also the last surviving WPK Presidium member along with the new leader.
According to the testimony of film director Shin Sang-ok, who was abducted from North Korea, "O Jin-u once said that if he was drunk, he would wipe out Busan in a week if the general commanded him. Lunch in Daejeon, dinner in Busan... "
In January 2017, it was reported that his three sons, Kim Jong-Su, O Il-jong and O Il-su had been "purged" by Kim Jong Un.[3] No official reason was given for why they were purged; however, it is believed that Kim Jong Un viewed their relation to O as a possible threat to his rule of the DPRK.[3] Considering how revered O was in the DPRK (still having the title of "Revolutionary Martyr"), the incident shocked observers, as respected officials' relatives tended to be well taken care of.[3] However, in contradiction to this report, in 2021, O Il-jong was elected as a member of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea.
Illness and death
[edit | edit source]O Jin-u, who had been victorious in the North Korean regime, suffered a worsening case of lung cancer, and his frequency of public appearances decreased significantly during this time. He went to France to receive treatment under Kim Jong Il's special consideration, but he did not show any signs of recovery and finally died in February 1995 while fighting the disease in Pyongyang, a year after Kim Il Sung.[4] Since O was a major supporter for Kim Jong Il's succession, which had not been fully realized at the time of his death, the event was seen as a setback for Kim.[2] After O's death, Kim Jong Il left the minister's position vacant for more than seven months before naming a new minister, Choi Kwang. O Jin-u is deeply imprinted with a warlike appearance, and the first person that comes to mind when many people think of the North Korean People's Army is O Jin-u.
A funeral committee of 240 members was appointed for O.[5] It included:[6]
- Kim Jong Il
- Kang Song-san
- Ri Jong-ok
- Pak Song-chol
- Kim Yong-ju
- Kim Yong-nam
- Choe Kwang
- Kye Ung-thae
- Chon Pyong-ho
- Han Song-yong
- Kim Jong-SuSo Yun-sokLua error: Internal error: The interpreter exited with status 1.
- Kim Chol-man
- Choe Tae-pok
- Choe Yong-nim
- Hong Song-nam
- Yang Hyong-sop
- Hong Sok-hyong
- Yon Hyon-muk
Awards and honors
[edit | edit source]A frame with O's awards and honors was displayed during his funeral, showing all the decorations he had received.[7]
File:DPRK ribbon bar - Hero of the Republic V2.svg Hero of the Republic, twice
File:PRK Order of Kim Il Sung BAR.png Order of Kim Il Sung, three times
File:DPRK ribbon bar - Order of National Flag 1st Class.svg Order of the National Flag First Class, thirteen times
File:FreedomAndIndependence1Ribbon.jpg Order of Freedom and Independence First Class, seven times
File:DPRK Order of Labor.png Order of Korean Labour, four times
File:DPRK 20th Anniversary Order.png Commemorative Order "Foundation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea"
File:KPA Foundation Commemorative Order.png Commemorative Order "Anniversary of the Foundation of the People's Army"
File:DPRK Order of Military Service Honor 1st Class.png Order of Military Service Honour First Class
File:30th Anniversary of the Publication of the Rural Theses Order ribbon.png Commemorative Order "30th Anniversary of the Agricultural Presentation"
File:PRK Order of the National Flag - 2nd Class BAR.png Order of the National Flag Second Class, three times
File:FreedomAndIndependence2Ribbon.jpg Order of Freedom and Independence Second Class, twice
File:DPRK ribbon bar - Order of National Flag 3rd Class.svg Order of the National Flag Third Class, twice
File:DPRK Commemorative Order 'Capital Construction' ribbon.svg Commemorative Order "Capital Construction"
File:Commemorative Order of the 60th Anniversary of the Korean People's Army ribbon.gif Commemorative Order "60th Anniversary of the People's Army"
File:Commemorative Order 40th Anniversary of Fatherland Liberation War Victory ribbon.png Commemorative Order "40th Anniversary of Fatherland Liberation War Victory"
File:FatherlandLiberationRibbon.jpg Commemorative Medal "Fatherland Liberation"
File:Commemorative Medal Anniversary of the Foundation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ribbon.gif Commemorative Medal "The Foundation of the People's Republic of Korea", twice
File:DPRK Military Merit Medal.png Medal For Military Merit
File:DPRK Medal of Military Service Honor.png Medal of Military Service Honour
Works
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References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Kim Jong Il. Short Biography.
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Sources
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External links
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- North Korean generals
- North Korean military personnel of the Korean War
- Marshals
- Korean resistance members
- 1917 births
- 1995 deaths
- Korean revolutionaries
- Government ministers of North Korea
- Deaths from lung cancer
- Defence ministers of North Korea
- Members of the 5th Political Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
- Members of the 6th Presidium of the Workers' Party of Korea
- Members of the 3rd Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
- Members of the 4th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
- International Lenin School alumni
- People from South Hamgyong Province
- People of 88th Separate Rifle Brigade
- Heroes of the Republic (North Korea)