Asian & Middle Eastern Monarchs & Strongmen Codexery

Jang Song-thaek

North Korean politician and uncle of Kim Jong Un by marriage.

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Jang Song-thaek, whose birth occurred in either January or February 1946 and who died on 12 December 2013, was a politician from North Korea; his spouse was Kim Kyong-hui, the sole daughter of Kim Il Sung and the only sister of Kim Jong Il.[1][2] By marriage, he was the uncle of the current leader Kim Jong Un, and he held the post of vice-chairman on the National Defence Commission, a role thought to be subordinate only to the top leader.[2][3]

Life and work

Jang was born in Chongjin during the Soviet Civil Administration of Northern Korea and graduated from Kim Il Sung Senior High School before studying at Moscow State University from 1968 to 1972.[4] Jang was first elected to the Supreme People's Assembly in 1986 and was made a People's Hero in April 1989.[5] He was purged in 2004 but reinstated in December 2005, and by October 2007 he had been promoted to first vice-director of the Workers' Party with oversight of internal security.[6][7] In 2012 he was appointed first chairman of the new State Physical Culture and Sports Guidance Commission.[8]

On 8 December 2013 he was publicly expelled from the Workers' Party, and on 12 December he was tried by a special military tribunal and executed by firing squad.[9][10] Following his return from studies, he wed Kim Kyong-hui and, starting in the 1970s, his professional path began with a job as an instructor for the Pyongyang City Committee of the Workers' Party.[4][11] During the late 1970s, his professional advancement halted when he was assigned to run a steel and ironworks facility in Nampo, a move that appeared to be a step down.[11]

What the cited sources add

Alexandre Mansourov's analysis states that Jang's main offense in the eyes of Kim Jong Un was his "crafty bid to overthrow the Kim dynasty and establish the new Jang dynasty"[12] The same source notes that Jang was accused of converting his Administrative Department into a "little kingdom which no one dares touch" and that Kim Jong Un disbanded the department after Jang's purge.[12] Mansourov also reports that Jang's followers began to address him as "No. One Comrade," an honorific title reserved only for the supreme leader.[12] A BBC profile describes Jang as "a party veteran and administrator" who had "overcome a number of setbacks to secure his position at the heart of the leadership"[13]

Moon also notes that major policy-makers such as Pak Bong Ju and Kang Sok Ju remained in their positions after Jang's removal, suggesting Jang was not as powerful as outside observers believed.[14]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Jang Song-thaek" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Volume 2: Jang Song Thaek's background and his estimated power", 30 August 2023 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Jang Song-thaek" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Information Center on North Korea; "North Korean media confirms promotion of Jang Song-thaek to senior post", Yonhap News Agency, 13 December 2007 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Jang Song-thaek" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Ben Webster, "North Korea 'is being run by Kim Jong Il's brother-in-law'", The Times, 8 November 2008; Choe, "N. Korea Reshuffle Seen as Part of Succession Plan", The New York Times, 7 June 2010; "Kim Jong-il funeral: Kim Jong-un steps up as nation mourns", The Daily Telegraph, 28 December 2011; "North Korea May Take Action to Jolt Economy, Analysts Say", The New York Times, 5 September 2012 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Jang Song-thaek" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: James E. Hoare, Jang Seong-taek, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars .; Information Center on North Korea; Yi, JoongAng Ilbo, 18 September 2006 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Jang Song-thaek" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: James E. Hoare, Jang Seong-taek, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars . (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Jang Song-thaek" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: James E. Hoare, Jang Seong-taek, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars .; Profile: Chang Song-thaek , BBC News (12 December 2013).; James E. Hoare, Jang Seong-taek, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars .; Demick, "Kim Jong-il purges relative from power, paving way for sons", The Seattle Times, 4 December 2004; Profile: Chang Song-thaek , BBC News (12 December 2013). (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Jang Song-thaek" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: 北朝鮮の交通事故偽装テロ 東亜日報 2010年5月10日; Information Center on North Korea; "North Korean media confirms promotion of Jang Song-thaek to senior post", Yonhap News Agency, 13 December 2007 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Jang Song-thaek" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Report on Enlarged Meeting of Political Bureau of WPK Central Committee", Korean Central News Agency, 4 November 2012 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Jang Song-thaek" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Report on Enlarged Meeting of Political Bureau of Central Committee of WPK", Korean Central News Agency, 8 December 2013 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Wikipedia, "Jang Song-thaek" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "N. Korea executes leader's uncle for 'treason': KCNA", Yonhap News Agency, 13 December 2013; Choe, "Grasping for Clues in North Korean Execution", The New York Times, 14 December 2013; Kaiman, "Story about Kim Jong-un's uncle being fed to dogs originated with satirist", The Guardian, 6 January 2014 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  11. Wikipedia, "Jang Song-thaek" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: James E. Hoare, Jang Seong-taek, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars .; Associated Press, "Leader's Uncle Rose To No. 2 In North Korea", 13 December 2013. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  12. Alexandre Mansourov, "North Korea: What Jang's Execution Means for the Future" , 38north.org; 13 December 2013.. facts only, no text reused. 38north.org
  13. Profile: Chang Song-thaek , BBC News (12 December 2013).. facts only, no text reused. bbc.co.uk
  14. "Is Kim Jong-Un The Reformer, And The Executed Uncle Jang Seong-Taek The Reactionary?", HuffPost, 23 January 2014. facts only, no text reused. huffingtonpost.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Jang Song-thaek (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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