Yang Hyong-sop

Yang Hyong-sop (1 October 1925 – 13 May 2022) was a North Korean politician who served as Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly and Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly from 1983[1] to 1998 (from 1994 it was formally the highest position in the state). He subsequently served as Vice President of the Presidium of the SPA from 1998 to 2019.

In this Korean name, the family name is Yang.
Yang Hyong-sop
Vice President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly
In office
5 September 1998 – 11 April 2019
Serving with Kim Yong-dae
PresidentKim Yong-nam
Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly
In office
7 April 1983 – 5 September 1998
Preceded byHwang Jang-yop
Succeeded byKim Yong-nam
Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly
In office
7 April 1983 – 5 September 1998
Preceded byHwang Jang-yop
Succeeded byChoe Thae-bok
Personal details
Born(1925-10-01)1 October 1925
Hamhung, Korea
Died13 May 2022(2022-05-13) (aged 96)
Pyongyang, North Korea
Political partyWorkers' Party of Korea
Korean name
Hangul
양형섭
Hanja
Revised RomanizationYang Hyeong-seop
McCune–ReischauerYang Hyŏng-sŏp

Life and career

Born in Hamhung on 1 October 1925,[2] Yang attended Moscow State University and Kim Il Sung University, and was married to Kim Shin-sook, a cousin of Kim Il Sung.[3] According to the official biography released by the Korean Central News Agency, he joined the Korean People's Army in June 1950 (approximately when the Korean War started); after graduating from Kim Il Sung University, he served as section chief and then secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Director of the Central Party School, Minister of Higher Education, and President of the Academy of Social Sciences.He was elected Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly in 1983, after having been a vice-chairman since 1962; in this capacity, he assumed the functions of de facto head of state after Kim Il Sung's death in 1994, as the post of President of the Republic was never reassigned; however, actual power was held by Kim Jong Il. In 1998 a new Constitution passed the President's powers to the President of the Presidium; in the same year, Yang was replaced by Kim Yong-nam in that capacity, but continued to serve as vice-president again. He was also a member of the Politburo of the Workers' Party. On 6 January 2007, at a mass rally in Pyongyang, he gave a speech praising the North Korean government for building nuclear weapons.[4] Yang Hyong-sop died of a stroke on 13 May 2022, at the age of 96.[5]

Career accomplishments

References
  1. Kihl, Young Whan (January 1984). "North Korea in 1983: Transforming "The Hermit Kingdom"?". Asian Survey. 24 (1): 100–111. doi:10.2307/2644170. JSTOR 2644170.
  2. 양형섭 (楊亨燮) (in Korean). Information Center on North Korea, South Korean Unification Ministry. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  3. Martin, Bradley (2006). Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader. Macmillan. ISBN 0-312-32221-6.
  4. "Usher in a great heyday of Songun Korea full of confidence in victory". The Pyongyang Times. 6 January 2007. p. 1.
  5. "Yang Hyong Sop passes away". KCNA Watch. 15 May 2022.
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