New 1st Vice Chief of the General Staff

Lt.Gen. Jong Myong Do (left) attends a live fire artillery drill with Kim Jong Un and other members of the KPA high command (Photo: KCNA).

Lt. Gen. Jong Myong Do (Cho’ng Myo’ng-to) has been identified as 1st Vice Chief of the Korean People’s Army [KPA] General Staff in two 6 October state media reports on Kim Jong Un’s (KJU; Kim Cho’ng-u’n) public engagements.  Lt. Gen. Jong was elected a member of the Central Committee in March 2023 and his last known position was President of KIS Military University.  He is not the same individual as Admiral Jong Myong Do who served as commander of KPA Navy from 2007 to 2012.

Jong replaces Song Yong Gon (So’ng Yo’ng-ko’n) who held the position for about the last year (i.e., since 2023).  It not clear if Jong has assumed the directorate of the General Staff Operation Bureau.

Jong Myong Do

1st Vice Chief of the KPA General Staff

KPA Lieutenant General

Member, WPK Central Committee

[Commander, XII Army Corps]

2020: Promoted to Lieutenant General

2023: Elected, Member, WPK Central Committee

President, Kim Il Sung Military University

2024: 1st Vice Chief of the KPA General Staff

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