| Ri Pyong-chol | |||||||||||||
| Honorific Prefix: | Marshal | ||||||||||||
| Office3: | Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea | ||||||||||||
| Term Start4: | 23 May 2020 | ||||||||||||
| Term End4: | 30 June 2021 | ||||||||||||
| 4Blankname: | Chairman | ||||||||||||
| 4Namedata: | Kim Jong Un | ||||||||||||
| Predecessor4: | Choe Ryong-hae | ||||||||||||
| Term Start3: | 21 June 2022 | ||||||||||||
| 1Blankname3: | Chairman | ||||||||||||
| 1Namedata3: | Kim Jong Un | ||||||||||||
| Predecessor3: | Seat created | ||||||||||||
| Office2: | First Deputy Director of the Organization and Guidance Department | ||||||||||||
| Leader2: | Kim Jong Un | ||||||||||||
| Term Start2: | unknown | ||||||||||||
| Office: | Commander of the | ||||||||||||
| Term Start: | unknown | ||||||||||||
| Term End: | unknown | ||||||||||||
| 3Blankname: | Supreme Commander | ||||||||||||
| 3Namedata: | Kim Jong Un | ||||||||||||
| Successor: | Kim Kwang-hyok | ||||||||||||
| Birth Place: | North Korea | ||||||||||||
| Education: | Red Flag Mangyongdae Revolutionary School | ||||||||||||
| Rank: | Marshal | ||||||||||||
| Nationality: | Korean | ||||||||||||
| Citizenship: | North Korean | ||||||||||||
| Party: | Workers' Party of Korea | ||||||||||||
| Serviceyears: | 1965–present | ||||||||||||
| Module: |
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Ri Pyong-chol (born 1948)[2] is a North Korean marshal and formerly a top advisor of supreme leader Kim Jong Un, 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. 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 (WPK) and First Deputy Director of the WPK Organization and Guidance Department (OGD).[3] [4]
General Ri's military and senior Party experience make him an important advisor to Kim Jong Un, especially during crisis.[4] He is an alternate member of the WPK Political Bureau, and a deputy to the Supreme People's Assembly.[5] Ri served in the Korean People's Army Air Force until 2014 at which time he became a senior party official.[6]
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 [him] from transactions with American citizens".[7]
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.[8]
On 23 May 2020, Ri became a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea.[9] On 13 August he also became a member of the Presidium of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea. On 5 October, he was promoted to Marshal of the Korean People's Army.[10]
Following an unspecified "serious incident" in June 2021, Ri was stripped of his military title and demoted to a junior position in the party.[11] 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 on 25 April 2022.
During the 8 February 2023 parade, Ri was seen wearing all decorations awarded to him.
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