Jang Sung-taek

Who was Jang Sung-taek?

Jang Sung-taek, also romanized as Chang Sŏng-t'aek, was a leading figure in the government of North Korea. He was married to Kim Kyong-hui, the only daughter of former North Korean supreme leader Kim il-Sung, the only sister of former North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-il and the aunt of Kim Jong-un, the supreme leader of North Korea.

Although the precise extent of Jang Sung-taek's power and position cannot be confirmed, in 2008 South Korean government officials and academic North Korea experts suggested that he had taken on de facto leadership over North Korea while Kim Jong-il's health was declining and when Kim subsequently died. Jang was vice-chairman of the National Defence Commission, a position considered second only to that of the Supreme Leader. He is believed to have been promoted to four-star general around the time of Kim Jong-il's death as his first appearance in uniform was while visiting Kim lying in state. Jang was considered a "key policy adviser" to Kim Jong-un.

In December 2013, Jang was abruptly accused of being a counter-revolutionary and was stripped of all his posts and expelled from the Workers' Party of Korea.