Kang Ryang-uk

Kang was born on 7 December 1903.^[2][3]

Kang was the maternal uncle of North Korean leader Kim Il Sung. Kim's mother, Kang's cousin, was Kang Pan Sok, who was also a devout Presbyterian.^[4] In his early years, Kang was a schoolteacher at Changdok School(one of his pupils was Kim Il Sung). Changdok School was a private school that Kim Il Sung's maternal grandfather, Kang Ton Uk, established at Chilgol in 1908.^[5] In the 1940s he studied Theology at Pyongyang University, and after he completed his study, he became a minister.^{[citation needed]}

Kang became a close adviser to Kim Il Sung shortly after his return from the Soviet Union in October 1945.^{[clarification needed]} In 1946 he became the Chairman of the Christian League, later called the Korean Christian Federation.^[4] This organization was in close contact with the Communist Party. In 1949 all Protestant Ministers were forced to join Kang's Christian Federation.^{[citation needed]}

In the late 1940s, Kang became Vice Chairman of the Korean Social Democratic Party, which was a close ally of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.^{[citation needed]}

He became the chairman of the party in November 1958.^[1]

Kang later served as a Vice President of North Korea and a secretary of the Supreme People's Assembly. He was appointed as vice president by the Supreme People's Assembly on 28 December 1972. He was re-endorsed for the role on 15 December 1977 and eventually left the office in 1982.^[6][7][8]

He died on 9 January 1983. Kim Il Sung mourned his death at a ceremony shortly afterward. According to the 12 January 1983 announcement of his death, a state funeral was planned for him.^[8]

Kang's second son, Kang Yong-sop, later succeeded him as head of the Korean Christian Federation.^[9]