Ri Pyong-chol (, born 1948) is a North Korean military official and formerly a top advisor of supreme leader

Kim Jong Un Kim Jong Un (born 8 January 1983 or 1984) is a North Korean politician and dictator who has served as supreme leader of North Korea since 2011 and general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012. He is the third son of Kim ...

, who serves as Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission and a member of the

Presidium of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea The Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Workers' Party of Korea, or simply the Presidium, and formerly known as the Standing Committee (1946–61), is a committee consisting of the top leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea. Historic ...

. He is a relative of Kim's wife, Ri Sol-ju. He currently also serves as a director of a department of the

Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea The Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea is the Central committee, highest organ between National meetings of the Workers' Party of Korea, national meetings of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the ruling party of North Korea. Accor ...

(WPK) and First Deputy Director of the WPK

Organization and Guidance Department The Organization and Guidance Department (OGD), or the Organizational Leadership Department (Official translation in North Korea) created in 1946, is a department of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the ruling party of ...

(OGD). General Ri's military and senior Party experience make him an important advisor to Kim Jong Un, especially during crisis. He is an alternate member of the WPK Political Bureau, and a deputy to the

Supreme People's Assembly The Supreme People's Assembly (SPA; ) is the legislature of North Korea. It is ostensibly the highest organ of state power and the only branch of government in North Korea, with all state organs subservient to it under the principle of unified ...

. Ri served in the Korean People's Army Air Force until 2014 at which time he became a senior party official. In December 2017, the U.S. Treasury department issued sanctions against him, blocking him from "any property or interests in property within U.S. jurisdiction, and prohibits imfrom transactions with American citizens". In late 2019, Ri became a director of a department of the Central Committee of the party, possibly of the Munitions Industry Department, where he was previously the senior deputy director. On 23 May 2020, Ri became a vice chairman of the

Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea The Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea (CMC) () is an organ of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) which heads the Korean People's Army (KPA). One of the CMC's primary functions is to authorize ...

. On 13 August he also became a member of the

. On 5 October, he was promoted to Marshal of the Korean People's Army. Following an unspecified "serious incident" in June 2021, Ri was stripped of his military title and demoted to a junior position in the party. He was again identified as a Politburo Presidium member and secretary of the Central Committee at the celebrations for the 90th anniversary of the

Korean People's Army The Korean People's Army (KPA; ) encompasses the combined military forces of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). The KPA consists of five branches: the Korean People's Army Ground Force, Ground Force, the Ko ...

on 25 April 2022.

Awards and honors

During the 8 February 2023 parade, Ri was seen wearing all decorations awarded to him.

References

, - , - , - , - Living people Place of birth missing (living people) 1948 births Members of the Presidium of the Workers' Party of Korea Members of the 7th Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea Members of the 7th Presidium of the Workers' Party of Korea Members of the 8th Presidium of the Workers' Party of Korea Members of the 6th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Vice Chairmen of the Workers' Party of Korea and its predecessors Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force {{NorthKorea-mil-bio-stub