Ryo Won-gu explained

Ryo Won-gu (November 1928 – July 2009;) was a North Korean politician. She is best known for her work on inter-Korean diplomacy during her time as chair of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea and vice chair of the Supreme People's Assembly.

Early life and education

Ryo Won-gu was born in 1928 in Keijō, Keiki-dō, Korea, Empire of Japan.[1] [2] [3] She was the third daughter of the politician Lyuh Woon-hyung, a Korean reunification activist and politician who was assassinated in 1947.[1] Before her father's assassination, in July 1946, Ryo Won-gu and her older sister had defected to North Korea and moved to Pyongyang.[4] [5]

Then, from 1946 to 1954, Ryo lived in Moscow, where she was a student at Moscow State University.[1] [6]

Career

For a period beginning in 1989, Ryo taught at Pyongyang's Kim Chaek University of Technology.[1] Then, beginning in 1991, she served as vice chairman of North Korea's Education Committee, an equivalent to the deputy secretary of education or vice education minister in some other countries.[1]

From 1998 to 2009, Ryo served as a vice chairperson of the 10th and 11th Supreme People's Assemblies.[7] [8] Also beginning in 1998, she became co-chairwoman of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea.[1] She also served as a delegate to the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly.[1] In her work, she often followed in her sister Ryo Yong-gu's footsteps, succeeding her in her roles in both the Supreme People Assembly and the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea after Ryo Yong-gu's death in 1996.

Ryo Won-gu was heavily involved in diplomatic efforts between North and South Korea, especially after her sister's death, and was considered an expert on the subject of South Korean relations.[9] In 2000, she helped host South Korean President Kim Dae-jung during that year's inter-Korean summit. Then, in 2002, she drew notice by visiting Seoul on Liberation Day, paying a visit to her father's grave in the city during her trip.[1]

In 2005, Ryo was awarded the National Reunification Prize by the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly.[10] In 2007, she was named a recipient of the Order of Kim Il Sung, North Korea's highest order.[11] She died in 2009 at the age of 81.[12]

References

  1. Web site: Kim. Sue-young. 2009-08-02. Yo Won-gu Dies at 81. 2022-01-27. The Korea Times. en.
  2. Web site: Hoare. James E.. Ryeo Won-gu. 2022-01-27. Modern Korean History Portal.
  3. Web site: Hong. Jin-soo. 2009-08-01. ko:'몽양' 셋째딸 北 려원구 사망. https://m.khan.co.kr/people/people-general/article/200908010344235. 2022-01-27. Kyunghyang Shinmun. ko.
  4. Book: Hoare, James E.. Historical Dictionary of Democratic People's Republic of Korea. 2019-09-04. Rowman & Littlefield. 978-1-5381-1974-7. en.
  5. Book: Yonhap News Agency. North Korea Handbook. 2003. M.E. Sharpe. 978-0-7656-3523-5. en.
  6. Web site: Ryo Won-gu. 2022-01-27. KBS World Radio.
  7. News: 1998-09-05. SPA Chairman and vice-chairmen elected. Korean Central News Agency. https://web.archive.org/web/20150402090415/http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/1998/9809/news09/05.htm#20. 2015-04-02.
  8. News: 2003-09-03. 1st Session of 11th SPA of DPRK Held. Korean Central News Agency. https://web.archive.org/web/20070516121133/http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2003/200309/news09/04.htm#14. 2007-05-16.
  9. Web site: Ko. Soo-suk. Baik. Sung-ho. 2003-01-06. Hand-holding, tears a link for North, South. 2022-01-27. Korea JoongAng Daily. en.
  10. News: 2005-06-14. National Reunification Prize Awarded to Persons of Service for National Reunification. Korean Central News Agency. https://web.archive.org/web/20141012070905/http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2005/200506/news06/15.htm. 2014-10-12.
  11. News: 2007-04-15. North Korea awards prizes to mark late leader's anniversary. BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific.
  12. News: 2009-07-31. North Korean leader mourns assembly member's death. Korean Central News Agency.