Jo Myong-rok

Jo Myong-rok ( 12 July 1928 – 6 November 2010) Director of the Korean People's Army General Political Bureau. Previously, he was the commander of the air defence forces.

Life and career Jo was born in Yonsa County, North Hamgyong Province, Korea, Empire of Japan on 12 July 1928 and he joined the Korean People's Army in December 1950. He was a graduate of the Manchuria Aviation School and Soviet Air Academy. By 1998, when he was also appointed to the position of First Vice Chairman of the National Defence Commission, he was the second most powerful person in the country, ranking immediately beneath Kim Jong Il himself. In 2000, he visited the US on a goodwill mission. During the visit, he met with US President Bill Clinton, his counterpart William Cohen, and US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. He was the first North Korean official to visit the White House or meet a President of the United States. The Clinton administration reciprocated by sending Albright to Pyongyang one week later to meet Kim Jong Il.

Death On 6 November 2010, Jo died of a heart attack at the age of 82, one month after he was elected as member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau. His funeral committee was chaired by Kim Jong Il and attended by more than a hundred political and military figures, including Kim Jong Un and Supreme People's Assembly President Kim Yong-nam. He lay in state in the Central Workers' Hall (home of the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea) in Pyongyang and was buried in the Patriotic Martyrs' Cemetery.

Against expectations, his successor was not elected at the 4th Session of the 12th Supreme People's Assembly in April 2011. There was speculation that Kim Jong Il was deliberately leaving the post vacant in order to promote his son, Kim Jong Un, when he was ready.

Funeral committee members Jo's funeral committee consisted of:

Kim Jong Il Kim Jong Un Kim Yong-nam Choe Yong-rim Ri Yong-ho Kim Yong-chun Jon Pyong-ho Kim Kuk-thae Kim Ki-nam Choe Thae-bok Yang Hyong-sop Kang Sok-ju Pyon Yong-rip Ri Yong-mu Ju Sang-song Hong Sok-hyong Kim Kyong-hui Kim Yang-gon Kim Yong-il Pak To-chun Choe Ryong-hae Jang Song-thaek Ju Kyu-chang Ri Thae-nam Kim Rak-hui Thae Jong-su Kim Phyong-hae U Tong-chuk Kim Jong-gak

Kim Chang-sop Mun Kyong-dok Kim Myong-guk Kim Kyong-ok Kim Won-hong Jong Myong-do Ri Pyong-chol Choe Pu-il Kim Yong-chol Yun Jong-rin Choe Sang-ryo Choe Kyong-song O Kuk-ryol Paek Se-bong Hyon Chol-hae Ri Myong-su Kim Chol-man Ri Ul-sol Ri Jong-san Jon Jae-son Ri Ha-il Jong Chang-ryol Kim Yun-sim Han Tong-gun Jo Kyong-chol Pak Jae-gyong Pyon In-son Kim U-ho Kim Thaek-ku Choe Se-kwan Jong Ho-kyun Jon Chang-bok O Kum-chol Kim Myong-hwan Kim Chol Kim Su-hak Kim In-sik Sim Sang-dae Tong Yong-il Ri Pyong-sam Kim Song-dok Ri Chang-han Ro Hung-se Ri Tu-song Im Jong-chun Kang Phyo-yong Kim Hyong-ryong Kim Kyok-sik Ri Yong-hwan Kim Chun-sam Ri Yong-gil Han Chang-sun Hyon Yong-chol Yang Tong-hun Ri Pong-juk Pak Sung-won Ri Chun-il Ri Thae-sop Kim Song-chol Jo Song-hwan Pak Kwang-chol Yun Kyong-so Yang In-guk Ri Hi-su Ri Chol O Chol-san Son Chong-nam Hwang Hong-sik Kang Phil-hun Kim Chang-su Ri Yong-min Pak Yong-rae Pak Yong-sik Kim Su-gil Rim Jong-hwan Kim Kyong-chan Kim Tong-hwa Choe Jae-bok Kim Yong-nam Ri Jong-rae Ju Tong-chol Kim Sung-guk Ju Sung-nam Jong Un-hak Cha Myong-song Hyon Pyong-mu Kim To-un Ri Sung-ho Pang Chun-san Son Chol-ju Jon Ha-chol Ro Tu-chol Pak Su-gil Jo Pyong-ju Han Kwang-bok Kim Yong-dae Ryu Mi-yong Ri Yong-su Choe Hui-jong O Il-jong Kim Jong-im Chae Hui-jong Ri Jae-il Ri Ryong-ha Pak Pong-ju Jon Il-chun Kim Tong-il Han Kwang-sang Jong Myong-hak Kim Tong-i Hong In-pom Kang Yang-mo Ri Man-gon Ro Pae-kwon Pak Thae-dok Ju Yong-sik O Su-yong Kwak Pom-ki Kim Hi-thaek Rim Kyong-man Paek Kye-ryong Pak Ui-chun Kim Hyong-sik Kim Thae-bong Jon Kil-su Ri Mu-yong An Jong-su Ri Ryong-nam Kim Yong-chin Ryu Yong-sop Pak Myong-chol Jang Chol Kim Ki-ryong Kim Pyong-ho Cha Sung-su Kim Jong-suk Ri Yong-chol Kim Pyong-ryul Jang Pyong-kyu Ryang Man-gil Song Cha-rip