Kim Kuk-thae


Kim Kuk-thae was an elder apparatchik of the Workers' Party of Korea, the ruling party in North Korea.
Kim was born in North Hamgyong Province as the eldest son of Kim Il-sung's trusted general Kim Chaek. He attended North Korea's most prestigious schools for cadres, including Mangyongdae Revolutionary School and Kim Il-sung University, and started working in the Workers' Party of Korea from the late 1940s. In 1963, he was appointed general to serve as deputy director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army to 1968, where he worked to consolidate Kim Il-sung's political control over the army. In 1968 he was made an alternate member of the WPK Central Committee and director of the Propaganda and Agitation Department, where he worked closely with Kim Jong-il. As the propaganda department fell under the future leader's control, Kim was transferred to director of the Culture Department in 1971 and president of the Kim Il-sung Higher Party School in 1976, but then he apparently fell out of favor and was exiled as ambassador to Ethiopia.
Kim Kuk-thae was called back to North Korea in 1980 to arrange preparations of the 6th Party Congress. He even received the Order of Kim Il-sung in 1982. He was promoted again to a number of leading positions, including director of the Propaganda Department, director of the Education Department, director of the Cadres Department, president of the Higher Party School.
In 1993 Kim was made secretary for party cadre affairs and director of the Cadres Department, with overall responsibility over personnel appointment and management, and was considered to be a close aide of Kim Jong-il. He also served as chairman of the Deputies' Credential Screening Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly for two terms, himself being a deputy since 1967. In 2010 he was transferred to chairman of the WPK Central Control Commission and promoted to the top decision-making Politburo. Although he was ranked number 7 in the committee that organized the funeral of Kim Jong-il in December 2011, he kept a low profile under Kim Jong-un, mainly disappearing from public after summer 2012.

Death

He died on 13 December 2013 from heart failure after a five-decade career, and was laid in state in the Central Workers' Hall in Pyongyang before being buried in the Patriotic Martyrs' Cemetery.
On his funeral committee were:
  1. Kim Yong-nam
  2. Pak Pong-ju
  3. Choe Ryong-hae
  4. Ri Yong-gil
  5. Jang Jong-nam
  6. Kim Kyong-hui
  7. Kim Ki-nam
  8. Choe Thae-bok
  9. Pak To-chun
  10. Kim Yong-chun
  11. Yang Hyong-sop
  12. Kang Sok-ju
  13. Ri Yong-mu
  14. O Kuk-ryol
  15. Kim Won-hong
  16. Kim Yang-gon
  17. Kim Yong-il
  18. Kim Phyong-hae
  19. Kwak Pom-gi
  20. Mun Kyong-dok
  21. Choe Pu-il
  22. Kim Chang-sop
  23. Ro Tu-chol
  24. Jo Yon-jun
  25. Thae Jong-su
  26. Choe Yong-rim
  27. Hyon Chol-hae
  28. Ri Pyong-sam
  29. Ju Kyu-chang
  30. Ri Yong-su
  31. Paek Kye-ryong
  32. Han Kwang-bok
  33. O Il-jong
  34. Kim Jong-im
  35. Kim Chung-hyop
  36. Han Kwang-sang
  37. Kim Kyong-ok
  38. Ri Chae-il
  39. Choe Hwi
  40. Kim Man-song
  41. Chon Il-chun
  42. Jong Myong-hak
  43. Kim Hi-thak
  44. Paek Ryong-chon
  45. Hong In-bom
  46. Ri Man-gon
  47. O Su-yong
  48. Pak Yong-ho
  49. Pak Thae-dok
  50. Kim Chun-sop
  51. Pak Chong-nam
  52. Ri Sang-won
  53. Kang Yang-mo
  54. Rim Kyong-man