Hwang Jang-yop
Encyclopedia
Hwang Jang-yop was a major politician in North Korea
who defected
to South Korea
in 1997, making him to date the highest-ranking defector from the isolated state. He was largely responsible for crafting the Juche Idea
, North Korea's official state ideology.
in 1942 to attend Chuo University
's law school; however, he quit two years later and returned to Pyongyang, where he taught mathematics at his alma mater. He joined the Workers Party of North Korea
in 1946, soon after its founding; from 1949 to 1953, he was sent to study at Moscow University in the Soviet Union
, where he met his wife Pak Sung-ok. Upon his return to North Korea, he became head lecturer in philosophy at Kim Il-sung University. He would later ascend to the presidency of that university in April 1965. In 1972, he became Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly
, a position which he would hold for 11 years.
Sometime in the late 1950s, Hwang discovered a 1955 speech in which Kim said, "Juche means Chosun's revolution" (Chosun being the traditional name for Korea). At the time, Kim wanted to develop his own version of Communism, and Hwang was largely responsible for developing what became known as "the Juche Idea." As part of this, he helped scrub all of the paean
s to Joseph Stalin
that had been typical of Kim's speeches in the 1940s and early 1950s. He also supervised the rewriting of Korean Communist history to make it look like Kim had been the founder and leader of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea
from its inception.
In 1983, however, he was removed from the Assembly and his standing deteriorated; though he had been Kim Jong-Il
's teacher at Kim Il-sung University, Kim now spoke to him only to criticize him, specifically admonishing him for taking too close an interest in China's capitalist reforms. Remarking on his role as advisor to Kim Jong-Il, Hwang stated: "When I proposed something, he would pretend to listen at first, but in the end, he would never listen."
by walking into the South Korean embassy in Beijing
along with his aide Kim Duk-hong, the president of a North Korean trading firm in Beijing. Pyongyang immediately threatened retaliation, while Beijing police sealed off the South Korean embassy. Three days later, North Korean defector Ri Han-yong
, the nephew of Kim Jong-il's mistress Song Hye-rim
, was shot outside of his Bundang
, Gyeonggi-do
, South Korea home by unknown assailants widely suspected to be North Korean Special Forces agents; South Korean prime minister Lee Soo-sung
described the attack as retaliation for Hwang's defection. A few days later, Kim Jong-il was quoted on Radio Pyongyang as saying, "Cowards, leave if you want to. We will defend the red flag of revolution to the end", a message seen as marking acceptance of Hwang's defection.
Chinese authorities eventually permitted Hwang to depart for South Korea via the Philippines
several weeks later. Considering Hwang's prominent role in the North Korean regime, his defection caused a stir, with The Washington Post
saying it was as if Joseph Goebbels
had defected from Nazi Germany
.
Since his defection his wife committed suicide
and one daughter died under mysterious circumstances by falling off a truck; his other children, a daughter and a son, as well his grandchildren, are thought to have been sent to labour camps. After his arrival in the South, he became a harsh critic of North Korea, publishing over 12 books and treatises, many of which accused Kim Jong-il of "betraying juche and building feudalism
instead of socialism", and used his position as chairman of the Unification Policy Research Institute to spread his message. However, under the Sunshine Policy
of president Kim Dae-jung, who took office in 1998, Hwang found himself increasingly marginalised; in November 2000, he was removed from the chairmanship of the Unification Policy Research Institute, leading him to complain that the South Korean government wanted him to stay quiet so as not to upset the North.
Hwang contributed to the Daily NK
, an online newspaper
set up by North Korean exiles in South Korea. He described his feelings surrounding the defection in the paper.
In April 2010, the National Intelligence Service
announced that it had arrested two North Korean agents who had allegedly been sent to assassinate Hwang. The two agents had reportedly trained for six years in preparation for their mission. They had posed as defectors, but were discovered during questioning by South Korean authorities. They claimed that they would receive assistance from North Korean sympathisers in the South, but refused to give any names when questioned. Hwang commented on the assassination attempt, "Death is just death. There is no difference from dying of old age or being killed by Kim Jong-il." In June 2010, South Korea sentenced the two would-be assassins to 10 years in prison.
. He died while bathing, and as such a large amount of water entered his lungs; however, an autopsy found no poison or drugs in his body, and footage from surveillance cameras showed no signs of forcible entry
. On those grounds, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency
(SMPA) stated that there was no evidence that his death might be homicide, and that they would close their investigation. On 20 October, just shortly after Hwang's death, the SMPA announced that it had arrested another would-be assassin of Hwang, Ri Dong Sam, who had also entered South Korea posing as a North Korean defector; however, the charges had no connection to Hwang's death.
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
who defected
North Korean defectors
A number of individuals have defected from North Korea. Since the division of Korea after World War II and the end of the Korean War , many people have defected from North Korea, mainly for political, ideological, religious and economic reasons...
to South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
in 1997, making him to date the highest-ranking defector from the isolated state. He was largely responsible for crafting the Juche Idea
Juche
Juche or Chuch'e is a Korean word usually translated as "self-reliance." In the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , "Juche" refers specifically to a political thesis of Kim Il-sung, the Juche Idea, that identifies the Korean masses as the masters of the country's development...
, North Korea's official state ideology.
Early life and career
Hwang was born in Kangdong, South Pyongan. He graduated from the Pyongyang Commercial School in 1941, and then went to TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
in 1942 to attend Chuo University
Chuo University
Chuo University is a one of the Japanese leading universities. Thus it is competitive in several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:The university has been ranked 27th, 25th, 34th during 2008-2010 respectively in the ranking "Truly Strong Universities" by Toyo Keizai.-Research...
's law school; however, he quit two years later and returned to Pyongyang, where he taught mathematics at his alma mater. He joined the Workers Party of North Korea
Workers Party of North Korea
The Workers Party of North Korea was a communist party in North Korea, a predecessor of the current Workers Party of Korea. It was founded at a congress on August 28–30, 1946, by the merger of the North Korea Bureau of the Communist Party of Korea and the New People's Party. Kim Tu-bong, the...
in 1946, soon after its founding; from 1949 to 1953, he was sent to study at Moscow University in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, where he met his wife Pak Sung-ok. Upon his return to North Korea, he became head lecturer in philosophy at Kim Il-sung University. He would later ascend to the presidency of that university in April 1965. In 1972, he became Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly
Supreme People's Assembly
The Supreme People's Assembly is the unicameral parliament of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , commonly known as North Korea...
, a position which he would hold for 11 years.
Sometime in the late 1950s, Hwang discovered a 1955 speech in which Kim said, "Juche means Chosun's revolution" (Chosun being the traditional name for Korea). At the time, Kim wanted to develop his own version of Communism, and Hwang was largely responsible for developing what became known as "the Juche Idea." As part of this, he helped scrub all of the paean
Paean
A paean is a song or lyric poem expressing triumph or thanksgiving. In classical antiquity, it is usually performed by a chorus, but some examples seem intended for an individual voice...
s to Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
that had been typical of Kim's speeches in the 1940s and early 1950s. He also supervised the rewriting of Korean Communist history to make it look like Kim had been the founder and leader of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea
Workers' Party of Korea
The Workers' Party of Korea is the ruling Communist party of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , commonly known as North Korea. It is also called the Korean Workers' Party...
from its inception.
In 1983, however, he was removed from the Assembly and his standing deteriorated; though he had been Kim Jong-Il
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il, also written as Kim Jong Il, birth name Yuri Irsenovich Kim born 16 February 1941 or 16 February 1942 , is the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea...
's teacher at Kim Il-sung University, Kim now spoke to him only to criticize him, specifically admonishing him for taking too close an interest in China's capitalist reforms. Remarking on his role as advisor to Kim Jong-Il, Hwang stated: "When I proposed something, he would pretend to listen at first, but in the end, he would never listen."
Defection
Hwang defected on the way back from a February 1997 trip to TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
by walking into the South Korean embassy in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
along with his aide Kim Duk-hong, the president of a North Korean trading firm in Beijing. Pyongyang immediately threatened retaliation, while Beijing police sealed off the South Korean embassy. Three days later, North Korean defector Ri Han-yong
Ri Han-yong
Yi Han-yong, birth name Ri Il-nam , was a North Korean defector. His mother Song Hye-rang's younger sister Song Hye-rim was a mistress of Kim Jong-il; Ri's mother raised Kim Jong-il's and Hye-rim's son Kim Jong-nam alongside Ri and Ri's sister Nam-ok at a secluded villa outside of Pyongyang in...
, the nephew of Kim Jong-il's mistress Song Hye-rim
Song Hye-rim
Song Hye-rim was a North Korean actress and one-time favored mistress of Kim Jong-il. She was born in present-day South Korea, in Changnyeong, South Gyeongsang.-Biography:...
, was shot outside of his Bundang
Bundang
Bundang is the southernmost district of Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. In addition to being the most populous part of the city, it also has the status of being one of the wealthiest regions in Gyeonggi Province...
, Gyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi-do is the most populous province in South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Suwon. Seoul—South Korea's largest city and national capital—is located in the heart of the province, but has been separately administered as a provincial-level special city since 1946...
, South Korea home by unknown assailants widely suspected to be North Korean Special Forces agents; South Korean prime minister Lee Soo-sung
Lee Soo-sung
Lee Soo-sung is a South Korean politician and legal scholar. He was Prime Minister of South Korea from December 18, 1995 to March 4, 1997...
described the attack as retaliation for Hwang's defection. A few days later, Kim Jong-il was quoted on Radio Pyongyang as saying, "Cowards, leave if you want to. We will defend the red flag of revolution to the end", a message seen as marking acceptance of Hwang's defection.
Chinese authorities eventually permitted Hwang to depart for South Korea via the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
several weeks later. Considering Hwang's prominent role in the North Korean regime, his defection caused a stir, with The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
saying it was as if Joseph Goebbels
Joseph Goebbels
Paul Joseph Goebbels was a German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. As one of Adolf Hitler's closest associates and most devout followers, he was known for his zealous oratory and anti-Semitism...
had defected from Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
.
Since his defection his wife committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
and one daughter died under mysterious circumstances by falling off a truck; his other children, a daughter and a son, as well his grandchildren, are thought to have been sent to labour camps. After his arrival in the South, he became a harsh critic of North Korea, publishing over 12 books and treatises, many of which accused Kim Jong-il of "betraying juche and building feudalism
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
instead of socialism", and used his position as chairman of the Unification Policy Research Institute to spread his message. However, under the Sunshine Policy
Sunshine policy
The Sunshine Policy was the foreign policy of South Korea towards North Korea until Lee Myung-bak's election to presidency in 2008. Since its articulation in 1998 by South Korean President Kim Dae Jung, the policy resulted in greater political contact between the two nations and some historical...
of president Kim Dae-jung, who took office in 1998, Hwang found himself increasingly marginalised; in November 2000, he was removed from the chairmanship of the Unification Policy Research Institute, leading him to complain that the South Korean government wanted him to stay quiet so as not to upset the North.
Hwang contributed to the Daily NK
Daily NK
The Daily NK is an online newspaper focusing on issues relating to North Korea. The site, run by opponents of the North Korean government, is based in South Korea and regularly reports stories from inside North Korea via a network of informants inside the country.Founded in December 2004, the Daily...
, an online newspaper
Online newspaper
An online newspaper, also known as a web newspaper, is a newspaper that exists on the World Wide Web or Internet, either separately or as an online version of a printed periodical....
set up by North Korean exiles in South Korea. He described his feelings surrounding the defection in the paper.
In April 2010, the National Intelligence Service
National Intelligence Service (South Korea)
The National Intelligence Service is the chief intelligence agency of South Korea. The agency was officially established in 1961 as the Korea Central Intelligence Agency , during the rule of President Park Chung-hee's military Supreme Council for National Reconstruction, which displaced the...
announced that it had arrested two North Korean agents who had allegedly been sent to assassinate Hwang. The two agents had reportedly trained for six years in preparation for their mission. They had posed as defectors, but were discovered during questioning by South Korean authorities. They claimed that they would receive assistance from North Korean sympathisers in the South, but refused to give any names when questioned. Hwang commented on the assassination attempt, "Death is just death. There is no difference from dying of old age or being killed by Kim Jong-il." In June 2010, South Korea sentenced the two would-be assassins to 10 years in prison.
Death
Hwang was found dead in his home on the morning of 10 October 2010. Initial reports stated that he died of a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
. He died while bathing, and as such a large amount of water entered his lungs; however, an autopsy found no poison or drugs in his body, and footage from surveillance cameras showed no signs of forcible entry
Forcible entry
Forcible entry is defined by Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law as the unlawful taking of possession of real property by force or threats of force or unlawful entry into or onto another's property, especially when accompanied by force....
. On those grounds, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency
Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency is the primary police force for the South Korean capital city of Seoul, and is one of 13 provincial police forces in the country, and is headquartered along with the National Police Headquarters in the city itself...
(SMPA) stated that there was no evidence that his death might be homicide, and that they would close their investigation. On 20 October, just shortly after Hwang's death, the SMPA announced that it had arrested another would-be assassin of Hwang, Ri Dong Sam, who had also entered South Korea posing as a North Korean defector; however, the charges had no connection to Hwang's death.
External links
- A collection of North Korean press releases about Hwang Jang-yop
- Hwang Jang-yop Holds Press Conference To Explain Why He Defected from North Korea Federation of American Scientists
- Daily NK, a pro-democracy online newspaper set up by North Korean exiles in South Korea