Pak To Chun [Pak To-ch’un]
Pak To Chun (annotated) with Kim Jong Un and Hong Sung Mu, attending a commemorative photo session with scientists, officials, technicians and KPA service members who participated in or contributed to the DPRK’s third experimental nuclear detonation in February 2012 (Photo: KCTV screengrab).
updated February 24, 2018
Pak To Chun (Pak To-ch’un) is a member of the Workers’ Party of Korea [WPK] Central Committee and a deputy to the Supreme People’s Assembly [SPA]. He is a semi-retired former senior official of theWPK and senior DPRK Government official. From 2010 to 2015 he was the chief operating officer of the DPRK’s WMD and space programs, as well as its conventional weapons and machine-building industries.
Pak is a former manager in military and machine building industries.Pak held a number of party organizational positions at factories and mines, including complex- and primary party committee secretary, notification instructor (reporting directly to the central party) and section chief. He was first elected a Supreme People’s Assembly [SPA] deputy in 1998. In the late 1990s he was secretary on the Chagang Province KWP Committee. In June 2005 Pak formally succeeded Yon Hyong Muk (Yon Hyo’ng-muk) as Chief WPK Secretary of Chagang (Jagang) Province.
Chagang Province is the location of many factories and other production facilities involved in conventional arms, military equipment and supply, and machine-building industry. While Pak served as party secretary and chief party secretary, he supervised the modernization, in the form of numerical and computer numerical control [CNC], in the province’s machine-building and arms production factories. Chagang Province was at the center of a number of propaganda campaigns and slogans [“Kanggye Spirit,” “Hu’icho’n Speed”]. The economic complexes are portrayed as models for emulation in the development of kangsong t’aeguk (a strong and prosperous nation) and kangsong gukka (a powerful state). Highlighted along with this are the province’s contributions in the development of computer numerical control [CNC] technology. The construction of the Hu’icho’n Power Station commenced while Pak was party secretary. This has been used to promote people-army unity and Km Jong Un’s practice of 3rd generation kwangpok politics.
Pak To Chun (L) accompanies Kim Jong Il on a tour of the Kanggye General Tractor Plant in December 2009 (Photo: KCNA).
Pak To Chun (L) with late DPRK leader Kim Jong Il in 2011. Also seen in attendance is NDC Vice Chairman Jang Song Taek (2nd L), a factory manager (2nd R) and Ju Kyu Chang, Director of the KWP Machine-Building Industry Department (R) (Photo: KCNA/NKLW archive photo).
In September 2010, Pak To Chun was elected a member of the WPK Central Committee, an alternate [candidate] member of the Political Bureau and WPK Secretary for Military and Machine-Building Industry. In the latter position he succeeded Jon Pyong Ho. Pak To’-ch’un continued his advancement in the central leadership from late 2010 to 2011. On 7 April 2011, Pak was elected a member of the National Defense Commission [NDC], again replacing Jon Pyong Ho. In 2012 Pak was given the rank of KPA General (taejang) and like other central party officials occasionally appeared in a full-dress uniform. During 2012 Pak supervised the failed launch of the U’nha-2 carrier rocket and its payload the Kwangmyo’ngso’ng-3 satellite. He later supervised the second U’nha-3 launch in December 2012. Pak also supervised technical preparations and had operational management over the DPRK’s third experimental nuclear detonation which occurred in February 2012.
Pak To Chun was replaced in 2015 as head of the WPK Munitions Industry Department and member of the NDC. However, he continued to attend public events and Kim Jong Un’s on-site visits to relevant facilities. During the 7th Party Congress in May 2016, Pak was elected a member of the 7th WPK Central Committee.
Pak To Chun
Member, WPK Central Committee
Deputy, 13th Supreme People’s Assembly [SPA]
1998: Deputy, 10th Supreme People’s Assembly [SPA]
1999: Secretary, Chagang WPK Provincial Committee
2003: Deputy, 11th SPA
2005: Chief Secretary, Chagang WPK Provincial Committee
2009: Deputy, 12th SPA
2010: (September) WPK Secretary for Munitions (Machine-Building) Industry
Alternate Member, WPK Political Bureau
(November) Member, Jo Myong Rok Funeral Committee
2011: (April) Member, NDC
(December) Member, Kim Jong Il Funeral Committee
2012: Promoted, Colonel-General
2013: (December) Member, Kim Kuk Thae Funeral Committee
2014: (April) Deputy, 13th SPA
(July) Member, Jon Pyong Ho Funeral Committee
2016: (May) Elected, Member, 7th WPK Central Committee
