General Hyon Yong-chol (Chosŏn'gŭl: 현영철; hancha: 玄永哲; MR: Hyŏn Yŏngch'ŏl) was a senior North Korean military officer and the country's defence minister. Hyon was promoted to the rank of four-star general (대장) alongside Kim Jong Un, Kim Kyong Hui, Kim Kyong Ok, Choe Ryong Hae, and Choe Pu Il in September 2010. He was listed as number 77 on the national funeral committee in the wake of Kim Jong Il's death in December 2011. Hyon was named as a member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea on 28 September 2010. In February 2012, Hyon received the Order of Kim Jong Il.

Hyon was promoted to the rank of Vice Marshal (차수) of the KPA in July 2012, two days after Chief of the General Staff Ri Yong-ho was relieved of his duties. It was initially unclear if Hyon would replace Ri as Chief of the General Staff, but this was confirmed a few days later. He was also identified as vice-chairman of the WPK Central Military Commission on 26 July 2012.

Hyon has been reportedly demoted to General in November 2012.

On 31 March 2013, Hyon was made a Politburo alternate member, though he didn't take Ri Yong-ho's former seat on the Politburo Presidium. He was transferred to command the 5th Army Corps in May 2013. He was called back to Pyongyang in June 2014 to serve as minister of the People's Armed Forces.

Execution

Hyon was purged and, according to South Korea's National Intelligence Service, publicly executed by anti-aircraft fire on or around 30 April 2015 at Kanggon Military Training Area near Pyonyang for lese majeste of sleeping during an event attended by Kim Jong-un, though his death has not been confirmed by North Korea.