Days after the North Korean leader punished officials for failing to contain Covid-19 and despite strict nationwide lockdown measures, Kim Jong-un was seen in tears at a state funeral for Marshal Hyon Chol-hae, a top North Korean official who served three generations of the Kim family, along with a large number of senior officials at the April 25 House of Culture, a theater located in Pyongyang on May 22, 2022. North Korean state media released images and video footage of Kim Jong-un without a face mask and carrying Hyon’s coffin with other regime officials, who were masked, before he threw earth into Hyon’s grave at the national cemetery.

WHO WAS HYON CHOL-HAE?

Hyon was born on August 13, 1934 in Yangil County, Jilin Province, China. As the son of a member of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army organized and led by the founder of North Korea, Kim Il-sung, Hyon attended the Mangyongdae Revolutionary School, Kim Chaek University of Technology and Nicolae Bălcescu Military Academy in Romania. Hyon served in Kim Il-sung's personal security escort corps in the 1960s and was promoted to Major General and Deputy Director of Organizations in the Ministry of People’s Armed Forces (“MPAF”) General Political Bureau in 1968. After taking up the role as Director of the Korean People’s Army Rear Officers’ Training School in the 1970s, Hyon was promoted to Lieutenant General and Director of the MPAF General Logistics Bureau in 1986, where he served until his next promotion to General and Deputy Director of the MPAF in recognition of his contribution to the improvement of the country’s munitions and logistical support systems in 1995. In 2007, Hyon was appointed Director of the National Defense Commission of the DPRK Standing Bureau among other distinguished, high-level appointments. As a core member of Kim Jong-il's military management for 15 years, Hyon frequently appeared with the former North Korean leader, including a trip to China in May 2010. Under Kim Jong-un's administration, Hyon took the titles of Commander-in-Chief and Marshal of the Korean People’s Army in 2012 and 2016 respectively.

Chinese media also reported that, although Hyon Chol-hae’s nephew, Hyon Sung-il (former Third Secretary of the DPRK in Zambia), and his wife defected to South Korea in 1996, the late Marshal remained a trusted member of the party and was even praised as “a soldier loyal to President Kim Il Sung and a revolutionary comrade-in-arms loyal to Chairman Kim Jong Il and the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un” according to North Korean state media.

A MENTOR TO KIM JONG-UN

According to Yonhap, Hyon played a key role in training Kim Jong-un to become Kim Jong-il's successor before his father's death in 2011. Hyon was part of Kim Jong-il’s inner circle when he was mulling the “succession problem” and was later credited for “Devoting himself to his important duties in supreme leadership organs of the DPRK armed forces during the period of important historic turn in the succession to the revolutionary cause of Juche, he ensured that the monolithic command system of Kim Jong-un was established across the entire army.”

Hyon was almost a father figure to Kim Jong-un and their close relationship can be seen by the leader referring to Hyon as “uncle (a-ba-ee, 아바이)” and to himself as “Jong Unny (정은이),” a nickname used by Hyon in his childhood. Hyon and Kim Jong-un frequently exchanged letters and Hyon even had a direct phone line to the leader. As a mentor who had backed Kim Jong-un as the “sole successor” to lead North Korea, the young dictator would seek Hyon for his advice on military affairs using high honorifics in their exchanges.

Kim Jong-un and Hyon were last seen together in public in July 2021, when his mentor attended an annual veterans conference in a wheelchair and the leader was seen leaning down and holding Hyon’s shoulders from behind.

DEATH AND LEGACY

Hyon was hospitalized “for a long time” and was “in pain” following treatments for his chronic heart disease and heart failure in 2017 and 2021 respectively. While Hyon was again hospitalized at Ponghwa Clinic in central Pyongyang this year, Kim Jong-un was known to have visited his bedside multiple times and was reportedly unable to leave his side. It is also reported that the leader had rushed back to the hospital when he received news of Hyon’s critical condition, which was filmed in a documentary titled “Closest to the Sun,” with the narrator quoting Kim Jong-un in an emotional voice, “Comrade Hyon Chol-hae, I’m here, open your eyes” and “What will I do if you go,” as Hyon was shown unconscious on a ventilator. On May 19, 2022, Hyon died of multiple organ failure with Kim Jong-un by his side.

Hyon loyally served late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and was a close confidant. He helped prepare Kim Jong-un to become the country’s next leader before his father died in 2011.