Name   Hong Sok-hyong Sex   Male Date of Birth     Place of Birth   Goesan County, North Chungcheong Province Posts Held Senior secretary of the North Hamkyong Province chapter of the Korean Worker’s Party, cadre of the party’s Central Committee, member of the 10th and 11th Supreme People’s Assemblies, Standing Committee member of the Supreme People’s Assembly Claim to Fame Technocrat Education Studied in the Soviet Union Profile Hong Sok-hyong and his family went to North Korea in 1948. An elite technocrat who studied in the Soviet Union, he is a grandson of former Vice Premier Hong Myong-hui, who wrote the famous novel “Rim Kkeokjeong” about a Korean-style Robin Hood, and son of Hong Ki-mun, vice director of the Academy of Social Sciences in Pyongyang. Hong Sok-hyong was appointed vice premier of the State Administration Council in 1973 and senior secretary of the Korean Workers’ Party’s chapter in South Pyongan Province in 1977. Two years later, he assumed the post of senior secretary for the party’s Nampo chapter and in 1981, he was appointed manager of the rolling factory of the Kim Chaek Ironworks Group. In 1984, he was appointed as first deputy chief of the party’s metal industry bureau, and two years later, the Central Committee of the Korean Workers’ Party named him a cadre candidate. Also in 1986, he was appointed secretary of the party’s chapter in North Hamkyong Province. In 1988, he became senior party secretary for the ironworks group. In 1993, he took over the State Planning Commission and was named a candidate cadre by the party’s Political Committee and cadre by the Central Committee. He was appointed second secretary of the party’s chapter in North Hamkyong Province in 2001 and eventually promoted to senior secretary. The group is the country’s biggest iron manufacturer, thus its senior secretary has major influence on the industry. As the group’s senior secretary, the late North Korean leader Kim Il-sung thought highly of Hong and gave him many key posts. After the North celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1998, Hong stopped appearing at official events. In 2001, however, he resurfaced as second party secretary of the party’s chapter in North Hamkyong Province, an unusual title that he still holds.

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