Nationality North Korean McCune–Reischauer Chang Chongnam | Hancha 張正男 Choson'gul 장정남 Name Jang Jong-nam | |
Occupation Minister of People's Armed Forces | ||
Revised Romanization Jang Jeong-nam | ||
General Jang Jong-nam is a former defence minister of North Korea. He is believed to be in his 50s.
Career
Jang is believed to have played a role in the 2010 bombardment of Yeonpyeong, which killed four people.
Jang was made colonel general on the occasion of Kim Il-sung's 99th birthday in April 2011. He delivered a speech on the first anniversary of Kim Jong-il's death in December 2012 pledging loyalty to Kim Jong-un and threatening to "ravine [the enemies] into their death pitfall when the hour of decisive battle comes". He was identified as general and commander of the forward-deployed 1st Army Corps of the Korean People's Army on that occasion.
Jang was unexpectedly appointed minister of the People's Armed Forces in early May 2013. He is the third defence minister appointed by Kim Jong-un since taking control of North Korea in December 2011 (Kim Jong-il only replaced two defence ministers in his 17-year leadership). He was replaced in June 2014.