On August 29 (local time), according to TASS news agency citing information from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea changed personnel in the position of Minister of National Defense in a meeting of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea.
According to KCNA, Mr. No Kwang Chol no longer holds the position of Minister of National Defense and was transferred to be the First Deputy Head of the Military Industry Commission under the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea.
The person appointed to replace Mr. No Kwang Chol is Mr. Kim Song Gi, Director General of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army.
The personnel decision was made at the second meeting of the 9th Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea. The meeting was chaired by leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang.
According to information released by KCNA, the meeting focused on issues related to the work of the Central Military Commission and the organization and operation of the North Korean army. The change of head of the Ministry of National Defense was announced within the framework of this meeting.
The meeting discussed a series of plans to restructure the apparatus to improve and comprehensively develop national defense work in the future," KCNA said.
Mr. No Kwang Chol was appointed Minister of Defense for the first time in 2018.
After leaving the position of Minister of National Defense at the end of 2019, Mr. No continued to hold important positions in the North Korean military apparatus. His return to the position of head of the Ministry of National Defense in October 2024 is seen as a notable personnel adjustment of Pyongyang.
