Choe Hyon

Choe Hyon (Korean: 최현, 6 May 1907 – 10 April 1982), also known as Sai Ken (after the Japanese pronunciation of his name), was a North Korean general and politician.

Born in China to ethnic Korean parents, Choe fought in the anti-Japanese struggle from a young age. He became one of the most important military leaders of the armed resistance in Manchuria. He led troops in the Battle of Pochonbo. This was later attributed to Kim Il Sung in North Korean propaganda. The two were, however, close friends during and after the guerrilla years. After the liberation of Korea, the guerrillas chose Kim among themselves to be the leader of North Korea, even though Choe was his senior and had a higher rank in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

In North Korea, Choe assumed command of the highly strategic Kanggye Regiment of the 1st Division in the newly organized Korean People's Army (KPA). During the Korean War, he commanded the KPA II Corps. After the war, Choe was given posts in the politics of North Korea, including the office of Minister of People's Armed Forces, which he held from 1968 until 1976. During this time, several ex-guerrillas were purged , but Choe maintained his position thanks to his personal relationship with Kim Il Sung.

Choe Hyon was born on 6 May 1907 in Hunchun, Jilin, China. Choe's father was Choe Hwa-shim. Hwa-shim had served in the Hong Beom-do Unit of the Korean Independence Army in the early 1900s. His mother reportedly died in 1920 after the Japanese invaded Manchuria to suppress the March 1st Movement. As such, Choe Hyon had an advantageous revolutionary background.

The Japanese arrested Choe in 1925 and put him in jail in Yanji for seven years. Upon his release, Choe joined the anti-Japanese guerrilla movement in July 1932 after Japanese conquered Manchuria. Thereafter, Choe fought as a guerrilla in the anti-Japanese struggle. He rose to a leadership position in the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army of the Chinese, and became a member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Choe also fought in the Soviet 88th Brigade after the United Army retreated to Soviet.

The Battle of Pochonbo in 1937 is highly important in the North Korean cult of personality of Kim Il Sung as its victory is attributed to him. Some evidence, however, point to the conclusion that it was Choe Hyon, not Kim Il Sung, who commanded the troops that raided Pochonbo. Choe reportedly also led troops into battle in Musan and Gansanbong.

The army led by Choe was one of the main targets of the Japanese during a phase of the Pacification of Manchukuo that began in 1939. Dennis Halpin concludes in The National Interest that "Choe Hyon may well have been the key leader in the anti-Japanese colonial struggle in Manchuria and along the Korean border". According to Halpin, this discredits the revolutionary legitimacy of the Kim dynasty and lends it to Choe Hyon's son, Choe Ryong-hae, instead. North Korea has subsequently edited photographs from this era to emphasize Kim's role.

Choe Hyon was a close associate of Kim Il Sung during their guerrilla years. Choe was older than Kim Il Sung. As such, Choe did not have to use honorifics when speaking to him, although according to Kim Il Sung's autobiography With the Century, this was at Kim's insistence.