Hong Son-ok

Early life Hong Son-ok was born on 28 March 1950 in North Pyongan Province. Her father was Hong Won-gil. She attended Kim Il Sung University and graduated from the .

Career

Early in her career, Hong was the Vice Chairwoman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) and Vice Chairwoman of the Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries. She met many foreign dignitaries and traveled abroad in these posts. She was appointed on 1 April 2013 at the seventh session of the 12th SPA, replacing Thae Hyong-chol. Hong was replaced by as the Secretary General on 11 April 2018 at the sixth session of the 13th SPA.

Hong was elected to the SPA in 2003 (187th electoral district), 2009 (230th), and most recently in 2014 (64th electoral district in Ryokpho).

Hong is a full member of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea since May 2016.

Hong is the Chairwoman of the Committee for Comfort Women and Victims of the Pacific War Compensation since February 2000, where she had already served before as a permanent member. She is also the Vice Chairman of the Socialist Women's Union of Korea. Hong was previously the head of the Reunification Office of the Armament Reduction and Peace Institute from November 1991.

Hong has headed many of North Korea's friendship associations. She was previously chairwoman of North Korea's friendship associations with Indonesia and Austria, and vice chairwoman in associations dealing with relations with Pakistan, and China. She currently heads the German and Russian friendship associations and is the vice chairwoman of the association with Finland. She has been chairwoman of the friendship association with Switzerland since December 2009, vice chairwoman of the friendship association with Poland since November 2006, and vice chairwoman of the friendship association with Bulgaria since March 2006.