Cho Myong-son
{{Short description|North Korean politician (1923–1994)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Cho Myong-son
| termend = ?
| awards = Order of the National Flag, 1st class
Hero of the Republic (1992)
Order of Kim Il Sung (1972, 1982)
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1994|07|08|1923|11|27}}
| birth_place = Yodok County, Kankyōnan-dō, Korea, Empire of Japan
| birth_date = {{birth date|1923|11|27}}
| termend2 = 17 December 1977
| termstart2 = 25 December 1972
| termstart = 14 October 1980
| office = 6th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
| office2 = 5th Supreme People's Assembly
| resting_place_coordinates = Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery
| party = Workers' Party of Korea
| election_date = 14 October 1980
| native_name_lang = ko
| native_name = 조명선
| image = ChoMyongson.jpg
}}
General Cho Myong-son ({{Korean|hangul=조명선|hanja=趙明善|mr=Cho Myŏngsŏn}}, 27 November 1923 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean official. He was a former guerilla fighter in the Korean independence movement.
Career
Prior to liberation from Japan, he was an anti-Japanese partisan and fought alongside Kim Il Sung, as a messenger.{{Cite web|date=2001-07-30|script-title=ko:항일빨치산 조명선, 김 주석과 같은 날 사망|url=http://www.tongilnews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=9482|access-date=2021-11-03|website=Tongil News|language=ko}} He had enlisted in the Korean Peoples' Revolutionary Army in June 1937. Although he was initially unfamiliar with guerilla warfare and the forests, he adapted to the harsh conditions, and conducted numerous reconnaissance missions against the Japanese, which earned Kim's trust.{{Cite web|script-title=ko:수령에 대한 충실성을 한생토록 간직하고 산 참된 전사|url=https://rodong.rep.kp/ko/index.php?strPageID=SF01_02_01&newsID=2020-11-11-0013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111140349/http://www.rodong.rep.kp/ko/index.php?strPageID=SF01_02_01&newsID=2020-11-11-0013 |archive-date=2020-11-11 }} In 1945, he became a battalion commander, and in August 1950, he became a division commander. It is unknown when he was further promoted.{{Cite web|script-title=ko:북한지역정보넷|url=http://www.cybernk.net/infoText/InfoHumanDetail.aspx?mc=EJ1005&hid=EJ100500229738&rightType=3&direct=1&direct=1|access-date=2021-11-03|website=www.cybernk.net}}
In With the Century, he was named as a bodyguard who protected Kim during the anti-Japanese warfare and was described as extremely loyal. Due to his loyalty and his command skills, he was promoted to higher positions in the army. He was commended also for responsibly using the army for socialist construction after the Korean War and devoted to strengthening the army.
He was a candidate to the 5th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and elected to the 5th Supreme People's Assembly in December 1972. In the same year, he received his first Order of Kim Il Sung, followed by another in 1982.
In 1980, he was elected as a full member to the 6th Central Committee of the WPK.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jPfvAAAAMAAJ|title=Directory of Officials of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea|year=1990}}
He became the deputy director of the Ministry of Social Security in 1982 and in 1989, the principal of Kang Kon Military Academy.
Death
Cho Myong-son died on the same day as Kim Il Sung. His death was announced on July 24 and was described as 'unexpected'. He was buried at the Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery and a bust of him was erected at his grave. Condolences were delivered from both Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il in a funeral in Potonggang-guyok, the last person to receive condolences from Kim Il Sung.
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cho, Myong-son}}
Category:Members of the 5th Supreme People's Assembly
Category:Members of the 6th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
Category:Burials at the Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery
Category:Korean resistance members
Category:Recipients of the Order of Kim Il Sung