Regime Core Get Kim Jong Il Medal

Chosun Central News Agency (KCNA) and Rodong Shinmun today reported the conferral of the newly minted Kim Jong Il Medal upon 132 individuals.

According to the North Korean media, the list of recipients was agreed by the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly on February 9th in decision no. 2193, “On the conferral of the Kim Jong Il Medal on those Laborers, Soldiers and Workers Who Have Greatly Contributed to the Construction of the Strong and Prosperous Socialist Nation and the Juche Revolution.”

Among the most interesting names on the list of initial recipients of the medal are National Defense Commission Vice Chairman Jang Sung Taek, Party Light Industry Department head Kim Kyung Hee and Kim Jong Il’s former secretary and fourth wife Kim Ok.

In addition, the list contains a great many other core Party, state and military figures, including: Supreme People’s Assembly Standing Committee Chairman Kim Young Nam, Cabinet Prime Minister Choi Young Rim, Party Central Military Committee Vice Chairman Lee Young Ho, Minster of the People’s Armed Forces Kim Young Chun, Party secretaries Kim Ki Nam, Choi Tae Bok, Kim Yang Geon, Park Do Chun, Choi Ryong Hae, Tae Jong Su, Kim Pyong Hae and Mun Gyeong Deok, 1st Vice Director of the General Political Bureau Kim Jeong Gak and his deputy Kim Won Hong, 1st Vice Director of the National Security Agency Woo Dong Cheuk, National Defense Commission Vice Chairman Oh Keuk Ryeol and military generals Kim Myung Guk, Park Jae Gyeong and Hyeon Cheol Hae.

The Kim Jong Il Medal was itself only revealed publicly by the North Korean media in the first week of February, with KCNA announcing at the time, “The Kim Jong Il medal is, along with the Kim Il Sung medal, the highest honor in the country.”

A list of 24 recipients of the Kim Jong Il Award were also named, while recipients of the Kim Jong Il Youth Award and Kim Jong Il Children’s Award were acknowledged but not listed.