He was born into a poor peasant family in Pochon County, Ryanggang Province on March 4, Juche 25 (1936).

Kim Yong Chun graduated from Mangyongdae Revolutionary School and Kang Kon Military Academy under the warm care of President Kim Il Sung after Korea's liberation and grew into a full-fledged military commander.

After Kim Il Sung Military University, he served as a military commander in sub-units and units at all levels of the KPA and served as a senior staff officer of the KPA General Staff from Juche 60 (1971) and then as vice department director of the staff of an army corps and as director of the KPA General Staff from Juche 68 (1979).

He held the responsible position of the combined units and General Staff of the KPA from Juche 71 (1982) and the important posts of the corps commander of the KPA from Feb. Juche 83 (1994) and the chief of the KPA General Staff from Oct. Juche 84 (1995) and made a distinguished contribution to defending leader Kim Jong Il unto death and establishing the Party's unified leadership system across the army.

He worked as vice-chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK from Mar. Juche 96 (2007) to April Juche 103 (2014) and the minister of the People's Armed Forces of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK from Feb. Juche 98 (2009) and department director of the C.C., WPK from April Juche 101 (2012) and successively held the post of the general adviser of the People's Armed Forces from April Juche 103 (2014).

He worked as an alternate member of the WPK Central Committee from Oct. Juche 69 (1980) and a member of the WPK Central Committee from Dec. Juche 75 (1986) and a member of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee from Sep. Juche 99 (2010) to May Juche 105 (2016).

He has been a deputy to the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) since the 8th SPA in December Juche 75 (1986).

For his feats for the Party, revolution, country and people, Kim Yong Chun was awarded Order of Kim Il Sung and Order of Kim Jong Il and watches bearing their august names and high-ranking party and state commendations such as the title of Republic Hero.

He was awarded the title of Marshal of the KPA on April Juche 105 (2016).

An obituary of Kim Yong Chun jointly issued by the Central Committee and the Central Military Commission of the WPK, and the State Affairs Commission and the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK was made public on Thursday.

It said that Kim Yong Chun was a revolutionary soldier faithful to President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il, a close revolutionary comrade-in-arm of the respected Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un and a reliable elder revolutionary who made great contribution to the strengthening of the revolutionary armed forces. Although he passed away, his exploits before the party, the revolution, the country and the people will shine long in the history of the revolution of the WPK and the history of building the revolutionary armed forces.

That day the Central Committee and the Central Military Commission of the WPK, the State Affairs Commission and the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK said that the deceased will be accorded a state funeral.

They also formed the state funeral committee chaired by Kim Jong Un with Kim Yong Nam and 149 others as members.

The funeral committee said that the bier of the deceased is at the April 25 House of Culture and mourners will be allowed from 9:00 on August 17 to 19:00 on August 19, and that the hearse will leave at 9:00 on August 20.