Kim Chol

{{Short description|North Korean Army officer (born c. 1960)}}

{{for|the South Korean field hockey player|Kim Chul}}

{{distinguish|Kim Jong-nam}}

{{Infobox person

| honorific_prefix =

| name = Kim Chol

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| birth_date = {{circa|1960}}

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| death_date = {{Circa|2012}}

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| nationality = North Korean

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| occupation = former Vice Minister of defence

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| employer = Korean People's Army

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| known_for = work as minister

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| party = Worker's Party of Korea

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| criminal_charge = treason

| criminal_status = executed

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| module = {{Infobox Korean name|child=yes

| hangul = 김철

| hanja = 金哲

| rr = Gim Cheol

| mr = Kim Ch'ŏl

| context = north

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{{family name hatnote|Kim||lang=Korean}}

Kim Chol ({{lang|ko|김철}}, born {{circa}} 1960 died: 2012), worked as a Vice Minister in the North Korean Army. He was allegedly purged and executed in spectacular fashion for "drinking and carousing" during the period of mourning for Kim Jong Il.{{cite web |date=2012-10-24 |title=North Korean Army Figure Executed As Kim Jong-un Continues Bloody Purge |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/north-korean-army-figure-executed-kim-jong-un-continues-bloody-purge-853153 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028073931/http://www.ibtimes.com/north-korean-army-figure-executed-kim-jong-un-continues-bloody-purge-853153 |archive-date=2012-10-28 |accessdate=2012-10-31 |work=International Business Times}}

South Korean media reported that he was exploded by mortar bombardment, and not shot by firing squad.{{cite web |last=Ryall |first=Julian |date=2012-10-24 |title=North Korean army minister 'executed with mortar round' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/9630509/North-Korean-army-minister-executed-with-mortar-round.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025093738/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/9630509/North-Korean-army-minister-executed-with-mortar-round.html |archive-date=2012-10-25 |accessdate=2012-10-31 |publisher=The Telegraph |language=en}} However, Foreign Policy observed the claims probably originated from gossip and noted that stories about violent deaths of North Korean elites tend to be "exaggerated."{{cite web |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/10/31/was_a_north_korean_general_really_executed_by_mortar_fire?page=0,1 |title=Was a North Korean General Really Executed by Mortar Fire?|work=Foreign Policy |last=Madden|first=Michael|date=2012-10-31|accessdate=2017-03-10 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141009224026/http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/10/31/was_a_north_korean_general_really_executed_by_mortar_fire?page=0,1 |archivedate=2014-10-09 }}

Kim was one of 14 senior party, military, and government officials who were purged during Kim Jong Un's consolidation of power.{{cite web |author=Jauregui |first=Andres |date=2012-10-24 |title=Kim Chol, North Korea Official, Allegedly Executed For Drinking During Kim Jong-il Mourning Period |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/24/kim-chol-north-korean-official-executed-drinking-kim-jong-il-mourning_n_2010473.html |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028194956/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/24/kim-chol-north-korean-official-executed-drinking-kim-jong-il-mourning_n_2010473.html |archive-date=2012-10-28 |accessdate=2014-01-21 |publisher=Huffington Post |language=en}}{{Better source needed|reason=This source refers in it to a news paper that has been publishing wrong information executions before |date=December 2019}}