Pyongyang, October 29 (KCNA) -- Pak Song Chol, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and honorary vice-president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, died of long illness at 5 a.m. on Oct. 28 to our regret at the age of 95.
He was born in a poor peasant's family in Kyongju City of North Kyongsang Province on September 2, Juche 2 (1913).

He was a faithful revolutionary soldier who devoted his whole life to the cause of national liberation and working class liberation and socialist construction and the independent reunification of the country under the leadership of President Kim Il Sung.

He conducted positive underground operational activities after joining different revolutionary organizations since the spring of 1930. After joining the Korean People's Revolutionary Army in April 1934 he carried out energetic party political work and military activities as a competent military and political worker, thus contributing to expanding and strengthening the anti-Japanese armed ranks and wiping out the Japanese imperialist aggressor forces.

After the liberation of the country Pak held important posts at a local power organ and the People's Army. During the Fatherland Liberation War he was active as a divisional commander of the KPA, deputy commander of the Navy Command and director of the Reconnaissance Department of the Supreme Command, thus making a great contribution to beating back the U.S. imperialists' armed invasion and ensuring the victory in the war.

In the postwar period he worked hard to implement the foreign policy of the WPK, holding posts of DPRK ambassador to other country, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, department director of the Central Committee of the WPK and vice-premier of the Cabinet and concurrently foreign minister.

He worked as vice-premier of the Administration Council from July of 1973 and its premier from April of 1976 and vice-president of the DPRK from December of 1977 and honorary vice-president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly from September of 1998.

Pak was elected member of the C.C., the WPK in September 1961 and alternate member of the Political Committee of the C.C., the WPK in June 1964 and member of the Political Committee of the C.C., the WPK in October 1966 and member of the Political Committee and the Presidium of the C.C., the WPK in December 1969 and member of the Political Bureau of the C.C., the WPK in October 1980.

He worked as a deputy to the Supreme People's Assembly since the Second Supreme People's Assembly in 1959.

He was awarded the title of Hero of the Republic and Kim Il Sung Order, the highest order of the DPRK, and the Order of the National Flag First Class, the Order of Freedom and Independence First Class and many other orders and medals for the distinguished feats performed by him for the Party and the revolution, the country and its people.

That day an obituary of Pak Song Chol was published in the joint name of the Central Committee of the WPK and the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly and the Cabinet of the DPRK.

The obituary noted that Pak's whole life was the life of a Juche-type revolutionary who devotedly worked for the Party and the leader and the country and its people, adding that though he passed away, the precious exploits performed by him for the WPK and the revolutionary cause will always be remembered.

The C.C., the WPK, the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly and the DPRK Cabinet announced that a state funeral would be held for the late Pak and formed a state funeral committee with Kim Yong Nam as its chairman and Jo Myong Rok and 63 others as its members.

The funeral committee issued a notice that his coffin is placed in the Sojang Hall of Pothonggang District, Pyongyang City and will receive condolers from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on October 29 and the coffin will leave the hall at 8 a.m. on October 30.