He was born in a poor peasant family in Jongju City, North Phyongan Province on October 2, Juche 18 (1929). After the liberation of the country he grew up to be an able official under the care of President Kim Il Sung. During the Fatherland Liberation War he protected the Party and the leader politically and ideologically at the risk of his life with arms in hand. In the period of socialist construction he contributed to developing the heavy industry and cementing the foundation of the independent national economy, holding responsible posts at the Central Committee of the WPK and the Cabinet.

He worked as vice department director and department director of the WPK Central Committee from 1964, as vice-premier of the Administration Council and concurrently chairman of the State Planning Commission from 1973, as first vice-premier of the Administration Council from 1986, as premier of the Cabinet from 1998 and as chief secretary of the South Hamgyong Provincial Committee of the WPK from 2003.

He worked as member of the WPK Central Committee from 1971 and alternate member of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee from 1982.

He had been deputy to the Supreme People's Assembly since the 7th SPA in 1982.

He was awarded the Order of Kim Il Sung, the highest order of the DPRK, the Order of the National Flag 1st Class and many other state citations in recognition of his distinguished feats performed for the Party and the revolution, the country and the people.

On the same day, an obituary of Hong Song Nam was issued in the joint name of the WPK Central Committee and the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly.

According to the obituary, he was a revolutionary soldier loyal to the WPK who devoted himself to the accomplishment of the revolutionary cause of Juche true to the leadership of the Party and the leader. The exploits performed by him for the Party and the revolution, the country and the people will always be remembered by them, it noted.

The WPK Central Committee and the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly announced that the late Hong Song Nam would be accorded a state funeral and formed a state funeral committee with Kim Yong Nam as its chairman and Jo Myong Rok and 34 others as its members.

The committee issued a notice that his coffin would be placed in the Sojang Hall in Pothonggang District, Pyongyang and it would receive condolers from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on April 1 and the coffin would be carried out of the hall at 8 a.m. on April 2.