N. Korea Defense Minister Dies
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TOKYO — Choe Kwang, North Korea’s defense minister, has died of a heart attack, North Korean radio reported today. He was 79.
Choe died Friday, according to the broadcast monitored in Japan. The report said that he would be given a state funeral and that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il was in charge of the committee preparing for the rites.
It was not immediately clear what impact Choe’s death would have on the country’s defense and security policies. But it comes at a sensitive time for the reclusive Communist nation, which is struggling with serious food shortages and the recent defection of a high-ranking official.
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