Hyon Yong-chol, a once-high-flying North Korean general, ended his dramatic life after he was executed late last month for “dozing off at a military event and talking back” to Kim Jong-un, the leader of the dictatorial regime.

Until his execution on April 30, the 66-year-old official served as the chief of the People’s Armed Forces ― equivalent to South Korea’s defense minister. His position was the second highest in the North’s 1.19 million-strong military after Hwang Pyong-so, the director of the General Political Bureau of the military.

Hyon, who served in the Army for nearly five decades, has been regarded as one of the most prominent generals in the military-centric country over the last five years.

He was promoted to four-star general in September 2010 when he was serving as the commander of the 8th Army Corps, which is in charge of guarding the communist state’s northwestern areas including those near the border with China.

Two years later, Hyon was promoted to vice marshal and took up the post of the general staff chief, which is equivalent to Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman. He replaced Ri Yong-ho, who was then regarded as the No. 1 man in the armed forces.

Despite his stellar rise up the military ladder, he also had his own share of tribulations.

Just a few months after he was promoted to vice marshal, he got demoted to four-star general. In May 2013, he also lost his position as the chief of the Army’s general staff to Kim Kyok-sik, another prominent military figure.

He was then demoted again to three-star general and posted to the 5th Corps in charge of the central frontline in the North’s Gangwon Province. But last June, he reemerged to prominence and took the post of the chief of the People’s Armed Forces. He also became a member of the powerful National Defense Commission.

Since then, Hyon was seen frequently accompanying Kim when the leader was conducting on-site inspections of military installations and joining special military or national events. Any member of Kim’s entourage is regarded as being in his inner circles.

Last July, Hyon was with Kim when the leader paid his respect to the late national founder Kim Il-sung during a ceremony to mark the 20th anniversary of his death at the Geumsusan Palace of Sun. He was also seen accompanying Kim who oversaw military drills at frontline units.

The dead general was noticed leading North Korea’s military delegation to Russia to attend a forum on international security last month. On April 25, he was spotted paying his respect to the late leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il at the Geumsusan Palace to mark the 83th anniversary of the founding of the armed forces.

Hyon was last seen watching a musical performance in a photo released by the North Korean media late last month.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)