Choi Yong-kun

This is a Korean name; the family name is Choi.

Choi Yong-kun
Chosŏn'gŭl	최용건
Hancha	崔庸健
McCune–Reischauer	Ch'oe Yonggŏn
Revised Romanization	Choe Yonggeon

Choi Yong-kun (최용건, June 21, 1900 - September 19, 1976) was the Korean People's Army chief commander from 1948 to 1953 North Korean defence minister from 1953 to 1957, and the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea from 1957 to 1972.

Choi Yong-kun was born in T'aech'ŏn County (태천군, 泰川郡) in North Pyongan, Korea, in 1900. After having attended two military academies, he fought in the Northern Expedition of 1927 and took part in the Canton Communist riots in December later that year. He led a guerrilla unit against the Japanese after they occupied Manchuria in September 1931.

In August 1936, Choi became an officer in the Korean People's Revolutionary Army. In 1946, he became the chairman of the Korean Democratic Party and led this organization to a pro-communist course. Afterwards, he came into more promotions and by February 1948, he was appointed the commander-in-chief for all the armies of the Democratic Republic of Korea. He was in fact the senior field commander for all the North Korean armies during the Korean War, from the first invasion of South Korea in June 1950 till the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed in July 1953.

After the Korean War ended, Choi was promoted to Vice Marshal and was made the Minister of Defence. In 1957, he was made the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly. In this post, he was North Korea's nominal head of state. He retired in 1972 and died in Pyongyang in 1976.

Persondata
Name	최용건
Alternative names	崔庸健 (Hanja), Choe Yonggŏn (McCune-Reischauer), Choi Yong Kun, Choe Yonggeon
Short description	North Korean military person and politician
Date of birth	June 21, 1900
Place of birth	Taechon, North Pyongan, North Korea
Date of death	September 19, 1976
Place of death	Pyongyang, North Korea