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Name |
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Kye Ung-thae |
Sex |
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Male |
Date of Birth |
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February 25, 1925 |
Place of Birth |
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Pyongwon, South Pyongan Province |
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Posts Held |
Public security secretary of the Central Committee of the Korean
Workers’ Party, cadre of the committee’s political bureau, member
of the 10th and 11th Supreme People’s Assemblies |
Claim to Fame |
Bureaucrat, national security expert |
Education |
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Profile |
Kye Ung-thae rose from a lowly laborer to the upper echelons of
power. Despite having just an elementary school education, he was
named vice foreign minister in 1960, vice trade minister in 1962 and
trade minister in 1967. In the 1980 convention of the Korean Workers’
Party, he was named to the party’s Central Committee as councilor
of the political bureau. In 1985, he became the committee’s secretary
for public security in charge of the National Security Agency, the
Public Security Ministry, prosecution and judiciary.
Despite rumors to the contrary, he did not attend college in Manchuria,
China, or study in the Soviet Union. Another lie was that his father
fought against the Japanese alongside Kim Il-sung.
A non-smoker and sober, the soft-spoken Kye is known for leading a
simple life. His integrity is considered the secret to his lengthy
career. For example, he once sent his prodigal youngest son to a remote
northern province to work in a mine.
His absence at important events in 1999 led to speculation that he
was purged, but others said he retired. Kang, however, reappeared
at the end of that year. Experts said he was probably suspended from
office but returned after undergoing self-criticism. Records show
that he attended Kim Il Sung Advanced School of the Korean Workers’
Party during that time.
Interest grew over whether Kye would accompany Kim Jong-il on his
China visit in 2006, but poor health apparently prevented Kye from
going. |
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