Hwang Jang Yop, a former senior member of the North Korea's ruling Workers' Party who defected to South Korea in 1997 has passed away at 88. -- PHOTO: APSEOUL (South Korea) - A POLICE official says that a former senior member of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party who defected to South Korea in 1997 has died.
The official said on Sunday that Hwang Jang Yop is dead but could not offer any additional details. South Korea's YTN television and Yonhap news agency both reported the death. YTN reported he was found dead at his home.
The 88-year-old Hwang was the chief architect of North Korea's guiding 'juche' philosophy of self-reliance and was one of the country's most powerful officials when he fled in 1997. He had tutored leader Kim Jong Il on the ideology.
Since defecting, Hwang had lived in Seoul under tight police security. He has written books and delivered speeches condemning Kim's government as authoritarian. -- AP
No comments:
Post a Comment