The fourth page of today’s Rodong Sinmun announced the death of Kim Yong Chun. Arguably, this man was the most important of those who held the rank of the Marshal of the Korean People’s Army (KPA). It is also quite likely that he was the man who ensured the survival of the DPRK twenty years ago.

Kim Yong Chun’s rise

Born on March 4, 1936, Kim was only nine when Korea became an independent nation. There is very little known about his youth – reportedly, he chose a military career early and was so skilled that he was sent to