Jo Myong-rok

Jo Myong- rok ( born July 12, 1928 County Yonsa -gun, sub-province Kankyo - hokudo, Chosen Province, at that time the Japanese Empire, present-day North Korea; † 6 November 2010) was a North Korean Vice Marshal and politician.

Biography

Jo joined the Korean People's Army in December 1950 he was graduated from the Air Force as a pilot school and took an active part in the Korean War. After that, he was battalion, regimental and divisional commander. In 1975 he was promoted to Major General and appointed commander of the air defense forces, before he became lieutenant general in 1977 and Head of the Political Administration of the Air Force and Chief of Staff of the Air Force. In 1979 he went up to the commander of the air forces on after the previous commander O Kuk - Ryol became chief of the General Staff. In this role, in 1985 he was promoted to Colonel General, and in 1992 a general.

Since October 1995 Jo was Chief of the Main Political Administration of the People's Army and was promoted to Vice Marshal at the same time. In addition, he was confirmed in 1998 First Vice- Chairman of the National Defence Commission and has been in this position in both 2007 and most recently in February 2009. He was so after Kim Jong- il de facto the second most powerful man in North Korea. Jo was also a member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea ( WPK ), member of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Committee of the Party. Since February 1982, he was also a member of the Supreme People's Assembly.

In October 2000, Jo paid as today most high-ranking representatives of North Korea the United States paid a visit and was there received by U.S. President Bill Clinton.