PYONGYANG. July 9 (Interfax) - Gen. Jon Pyong Ho, who held a prominent role in the development of North Korean nuclear weapons, has died of acute myocardial infraction, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Wednesday.
"General of the Korean People's Army Jon Pyong Ho, honorary curator of the KPA Museum of Weapons and Equipment, died of acute myocardial infraction at 19:00 on July 7, Juche 103 (2014) at the age of 88," it said.
Jon, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, was a leading nuclear arms developer.
KCNA underscored his "special contribution to turning the KPA into the powerful elite revolutionary army equipped with modern offensive and defensive means and converting the DPRK into a satellite producer and launcher and a nuclear weapons state."
"He was awarded high state orders and citations including two Orders of Kim Il Sung and Order of Kim Jong Il, the highest orders of the DPRK, the title of Twice Hero of the DPRK and the title of Labor Hero for the distinguished feats he performed for the party and revolution, the country and its people," KCNA said.
"The Central Committee of the WPK and the NDC of the DPRK announced that the late Jon would be accorded a state funeral, and formed a funeral committee with supreme leader Kim Jong Un as its chairman and 88 officials including Kim Yong Nam, Pak Pong Ju and Hwang Pyong So as its members," it noted.
According to KCNA, the funeral committee said that the bier of the deceased is placed at the Sojang Club of Pothonggang District, Pyongyang, it would receive mourners from 10:00 to 19:00 on July 9 and the hearse would leave the club at 08:00 on July 10.
Meanwhile South Korean media outlets, which also reported the general's death, said Jon Pyong Ho was added to the UN sanctions list last year after North Korea held the third nuclear test in February.