Pyongyang, November 6 (KCNA) -- Vice Marshal of the Korean People's Army Jo Myong Rok, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, first vice-chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission and deputy to the Supreme People's Assembly, died of an inveterate heart disease at 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 6, Juche 99 (2010) at the age of 82 to our sorrow.
Born into a poor peasant's family in Yonsa County, North Hamgyong Province on July 12, Juche 17 (1928) Jo Myong Rok was a revolutionary comrade loyal to General Secretary Kim Jong Il and a prominent activist of the WPK, the state and the army of the DPRK who devoted his whole life to the sacred struggle for the freedom and independence of the country and the victory of the cause of socialism.

He grew up to be an able military and political official under the care of the party and the leader after the country's liberation.

He worked for years at important posts of the party, the state and the army.

In the period of the hard-fought Fatherland Liberation War against the U.S. imperialists' armed invasion he bravely fought as a pilot of the KPA for the victory in the war. He worked hard for the development of the air force, holding posts of squadron commander, group commander and divisional commander of an air unit and the chief of the staff and commander of the air force of the KPA in the post-war period.

Holding important posts as the director of the General Political Bureau of the KPA from October, Juche 84 (1995) and first vice- chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission from September, Juche 87 (1998), he energetically worked to thoroughly implement the Juche-oriented military line of the WPK and firmly guarantee the building of a thriving nation and the victory of the revolutionary cause of Juche with matchless military power.

He was elected alternate member of the C.C., the WPK in November, Juche 64 (1975), member of the C.C., the WPK and member of the Central Military Commission of the WPK in October, Juche 69 (1980) and member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the C.C., the WPK in September, Juche 99 (2010) and worked as a deputy to the Supreme People's Assembly from the sixth Supreme People's Assembly held in November, Juche 66 (1977).

He was awarded Order of Kim Il Sung, the highest order of the DPRK, the titles of Hero of the DPRK and Labour Hero and many other orders and medals including Order of National Flag First Class and Order of Freedom and Independence First Class for the distinguished feats he performed for the party and the revolution, the country and its people.

He received the title of vice marshal of the KPA in October, Juche 84 (1995).

An obituary of Jo Myong Rok was jointly issued by the C.C., the WPK, the Central Military Commission of the WPK, the DPRK National Defence Commission and the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly on Saturday.

The obituary said that his death is a great loss to the party, the army and people of the DPRK waging a dynamic struggle to win the victory of the cause of building a thriving socialist nation and bring earlier the independent reunification of the country. Though he passed away, the exploits he performed for the party and the revolution, the country and its people will shine long along with the victorious advance of the revolutionary cause of Juche, it stressed.

On the same day, the C.C., the WPK, the Central Military Commission of the WPK, the DPRK National Defence Commission and the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly announced that the late Jo Myong Rok would be accorded a state funeral and formed a state funeral committee with Kim Jong Il as its chairman and Kim Jong Un and 169 others as its members.

The state funeral committee informed the public that the bier of the deceased would be placed in the Central Hall of Workers, it would receive mourners from 10:00 on Nov. 8 to 18:00 on Nov. 9 and the hearse would leave the hall at 9 a.m. on Nov. 10.