Hyon Yong-chol
| Hyon Yong-chol | |
|---|---|
| Native name | 현영철 |
| Born |
11 January 1949 Kyŏngsŏng County (modern Ŏrang County), North Hamgyong Province, North Korea |
| Died | 2015, North Korea |
| Allegiance |
 North Korea
|
| Service/branch |
 Korean People's Army
|
| Years of service | 1966-2015 |
| Rank | General, then promoted to Vice Marshal, then demoted to General |
| Commands held | 5th Army Corps in May 2013 |
General Hyon Yong-chol (Chosŏn'gŭl: 현영철; MR: Hyŏn Yŏngch'ŏl; 11 January 1949 - 30 April 2015) was a senior North Korean military officer and Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) politician who formerly served as defence minister. He was removed from his post and reportedly executed in 2015.
North Korean media have stated that Hyon was born in January 1949 and joined the military in 1966. Having served as a battalion commander, he was elected a delegate to the Supreme People's Assembly in 2009. Hyon was promoted to the rank of four-star general (대장) alongside Kim Jong Un, Kim Kyong Hui, Kim Kyong Ok, Choe Ryong Hae, and Choe Pu Il in September 2010. He was on the national funeral committee in the wake of Kim Jong Il's death in December 2011. Hyon was named as a member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea at the third party conference. In February 2012, Hyon received the Order of Kim Jong Il.
Hyon was promoted to the rank of Vice Marshal (차수) of the KPA in July 2012, two days after Chief of the General Staff Ri Yong-ho was relieved of his duties. It was initially unclear if Hyon would replace Ri as Chief of the General Staff, but this was confirmed a few days later. He was also identified as vice-chairman of the WPK Central Military Commission on 26 July 2012.
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