Ri Pyong Chol

revised and updated 8 April 2022

Ri Pyong Chol (Ri Pyo’ng-ch’o’l; Yi Pyong-chol) is a former senior official and core DPRK elite.  Ri served as a top military commander and was a senior civilian official in North Korea’s defense industry.  From 2009 to 2021, he was one of Kim Jong Un’s (KJU) closest advisors.

Ri Pyong Chol has held a series of command positions in the KPA General Staff and the KPA Air and Anti-Air Force.  He joined the general-grade officers of the KPA as Major-General (sojang) in April 1992.  In 1995, he was appointed as head of the Pyongyang Air Command, which is responsible for monitoring and controlling the DPRK’s air space.  He replaced O Kum Chol who was appointed commander of the KPA Air Force.    He received the Order of Kim Il Sung, one of the DPRK’s highest state honors, in October 1995. He was promoted to Lieutenant-General (chungjang) in April 1996.

Ri was first elected as a deputy (delegate) to the Supreme People’s Assembly in July 1998 and  Ri continued his tenure at the Pyongyang Air Command.  On 15 October 2007, Ri appeared on a DPRK state television talk show and spoke about his interaction with late DPRK leader Kim Jong Il.  Ri Pyong Chol was appointed commander of the KPA Air Force in April 2008, replacing O Kum Chol who became a Vice Chief of the KPA General Staff.

Between October 2007 and April 2008 Ri was promoted to three-star Colonel-General (sangjang) commensurate to his position as air force commander.  The effective promotion date was not publicized, but instead observed when Ri Pyong Chol led a KPA delegation on a visit to China during April 22 to April 26.  Ri met with then-PRC Defense Minister Liang Guanglie  ROK observers speculated that Ri’s visit to the PRC was precipitated by the People’s Liberation Army [PLA] deployment of Jian-10 [J-10] fighter plane, and the DPRK proferring an acquisition request.  PRC state media reported that during Ri’s visit and meeting Liang “the two sides attached importance to enhancing relations and cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries.”

Ri Pyong Chol attended Kim Jong Il’s first confirmed public appearance, a soccer match held on the premises of the Kim Family compound in Kangdong County, Pyongyang, on 1 November 2008, following KJI’s recovery from a pair of strokes during the summer of 2008.  Ri was observed among a group of senior officials with whom KJI was shown interacting prior to attending the soccer match.  Ri’s presence at the event was not explicitly reported by DPRK state media.  On 15 November 2008, Ri departed the DPRK and led a KPA delegation on a goodwill visit to Cuba.  Ri went on to accompany Kim Jong Il on two field inspections of KPA Air Force units during November and December 2008.

He was promoted to General (taejang) during a promotions order issued on Kim Il Sung’s birthday on 15 April 2010, along with a series of senior members of the DPRK national security community linked to the hereditary succession and eventual transition of Kim Jong Un.  During the 3rd Party Conference on 28 September 2010, Ri Pyong Chol was elected a member of the WPK Central Committee and member of the WPK Central Military Commission.

In October 2010, Ri participated in a KPA meeting with a senior level PLA delegation led by former PRC Central Military Commission Guo Boxiong. Ri Pyong Chol was a member of the entourage that traveled to Russia with Kim Jong Il during August 2011 and appeared standing next to KJI and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. although his presence was not reported in DPRK state media accounts of KJI’s visit.  Ri’s presence led some ROK-based Pyongyang watchers to speculate that the DPRK was seeking to acquire Russian airplanes as part of the late leader’s visit.  From late November to December 2011, Ri Pyong Chol attended five events with KJI during the last month of the late leader’s life.

Kim Jong Un’s assumption of power saw a renewed focus on the KPA Air Force and the DPRK’s military aviaition and air defense assets.  Ri Pyong Chol attended numerous field inspections and drills alongside Jong Un during 2012 to 2014.  In August 2012, Ri led a KPA delegation on a visit to Russia.  In July 2013, Ri spoke at a meeting of KPA personnel commemorating the end of the Korean (Fatherland Liberation) War.

During September to November 2014, Ri Pyong Chol attended short courses at the Kim Il Sung Higher Party School (a.k.a. Kim Il Sung School for Higher Party Officials) and the Kim Il Sung University of Politics whilst supervising the transition of the command of the KPA Air Forces.  On 25 September 2014, during the 2nd session of the 13th Supreme People’s Assembly Ri Pyong Chol was elected to the National Defense Commission, the DPRK Government’s highest power organization.  He returned to public life during mid-November 2014 serving as senior deputy director (1st Vice Director) of the WPK Munitions Industry Department [MID].  As such, Ri is responsible for the daily affairs of the research, development and production of conventional weapons and weapons of mass destruction.  He is also involved in personnel decisions involving civilian officials and military officers involved in the DPRK’s weapons programs.

From 2014 to 2021,Ri was the leading official of North Korea’s defense industry.  He supervised numerous conventional and strategic weapons test events, often alongside KJU.  He also served on a small working group of WPK and KPA officials involved in policy planning, administration and logistics around the research and manufacturing of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction [WMDs].  During the 7th Congress of the WPK (7th Party Congress) Ri Pyong Chol was elected to the 7th WPK Central Committee and an alternate (candidate) member of the WPK Political Bureau.

In December 2019, Ri was elevated to full Political Bureau membership and elected a WPK Vice Chairman (currently known as WPK Secretary).  He was also promoted to MID Director.  Ri was appointed a member of the State Affairs Commission in April 2020.  The next month, May 2020, he was appointed Vice Chairman of the Party Central Military Commission.  In August 2020, Ri was appointed a member of the Political Bureau’s Standing Committee (Presidium).  Ahead of the WPK’s 75th anniversary, Ri was given the title of KPA Marshal.

At the 8th Party Congress in January 2021, Ri retained his positions on the Political Bureau Presidium, CMC Vice Chairman, MID Director and migrated to the WPK Secretariat (from WPK Vice Chairman).  During July 2021, Ri was removed from all of his positions.  Despite losing his position, he held onto his office, administrative staff and secure telephone lines for at least two months following his downfall.

Ri Pyong Chol was born in 1948 and, according to DPRK state media, is a graduate of the Mangyo’ngdae Revolutionary School.  Ri is a direct relation to Ri Sol Ju (Ri So’l-chu), DPRK first lady and wife of KJU.

Ri Pyong Chol

1992: (April) Promoted, Major-General

1995: Head, Pyongyang Air Command

(October) Awarded, Order of Kim Il Sung

1996: (April) Promoted, Lieutenant-General

1997: (February) Member, Choe Kwang Funeral Committee

1998: (July) Elected, deputy, 10th Supreme People’s Assembly

2003: (August) Elected, deputy, 11th Supreme People’s Assembly

2008: (April) Appointed, Commander, KPA Air Force

Promoted, Colonel-General

2009: (March) Elected, deputy, 12th Supreme People’s Assembly

2010: (April) Promoted, General

(September) Elected, 6th WPK Central Committee

Elected, WPK Central Military Commission

(November) Member, Jo Myong Rok Funeral Committee

2011: (December) Member, Kim Jong Il Funeral Committee

2012: (February) Awarded, Order of Kim Jong Il

2014: (March) Elected, deputy, 13th Supreme People’s Assembly

(September) Elected, Member, DPRK National Defense Commission

(November) Appointed, WPK Central Committee Senior Deputy Director

2015: (November) Member, Ri Ul Sol Funeral Committee

(December) Member, Kim Yang Gon Funeral Committee

2016: (May) Elected, Member, 7th Party Central Committee

Elected, Alternate Member, WPK Political Bureau

(May) Member, Kang Sok Ju Funeral Committee

2017: (October) Elected, Member, Party Central Military Commission

2018: (August) Member, Kim Yong Chun Funeral Committee

(December) Member, Kim Chol Man Funeral Committee

2019: (March) Elected, Deputy, 14th Supreme People’s Assembly

(December) Elected, WPK Vice Chairman

Elected, Member, WPK Political Bureau

Appointed, Director, WPK Munitions Industry Department

2020: (January) Member, Hwang Sun Hui Funeral Committee

(April) Elected, Member, State Affairs Commission

(May) Elected, Vice Chairman, Party Central Military Commission

(August) Elected, Member, Political Bureau Presidium

(October) Appointed, KPA Marshal

2021: (January) Elected, Member, 8th WPK Central Committee

Elected, Member, WPK Secretariat

Elected, Vice Chairman, Party Central Military Commission

Elected, Member, WPK Political Bureau Presidium

(September) Removed from office

 

Biographical note

According to ROK records, there is another Ri Pyong Chol who has held senior positions in the DPRK national security community.  According to ROK records, this Ri Pyong Chol was born in 1941 in North Hamgyo’ng Province, attended Kang Gon Military Academy, Kim Il Sung University and completed his professional military education at the Frunze Military University in Russia.  He held a series of successive positions in the KPA General Staff Operations Bureau and KPA General Staff Nuclear-Chemical Bureau, eventually the bureau’s director.  The last known effective promotion of this Ri Pyong Chol was to the rank of Lieutenant General.  It is not clear, in 2016,  based on open sources and some interview data ,whether this Ri Pyong Chol is the same man.  There are very good analytical cases for both.

 

Interview data acquired by Michael Madden 2009-2016; “Ri Pyong Chol,” The North Korea Handbook (Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2003) p. 882; “Report of the Central Election Committee on the Results of the elections of deputies for the 11th Supreme People’s Assembly,” Korean Central Broadcasting Station (in Korean), August 5, 2003; “Chinese Defense Minister Meets KPA Delegation,” Korean Central News Agency, April 23, 2008; “Does North Korea’s Air Force Commander Discuss the Importation of Fighters During his Visit to China,” by Choe Kye-ch’ang, Yonhap News Agency (in Korean) April 23, 2008; Joint Meeting: 60 Years of Glory That Made Bloodline of Mangyo’ngdae Shine with Death-Defying Defense of the Leader, Korean Central Television (in Korean), October 15, 2007; “Kim Jong Il Watches Soldiers’ Soccer Match,” Korean Central Broadcasting Station (in Korean), November 1, 2008 “Kim Jong Il Watches Soldiers’ Soccer Match,” Korean Central Television (in Korean), November 2, 2008; “Kim Jong Il Watches Football Match,” Korean Central News Agency, November 3, 2008; “KPA Air Force Delegation Leaves for Cuba,” Korean Central News Agency, November 17, 2008; “Kim Jong Il Inspects KPA Air Force Unit #1016,” Korean Central News Agency, November 30, 2008; “Kim Jong Il Inspects KPA Air Force Unit #1017,” Korean Central Broadcasting Station (in Korean), December 27, 2008; “Report of the Central Election Committee on the Election Results of deputies to the 12th Supreme People’s Assembly,” Korean Central Broadcasting Station (in Korean), March 9, 2009; “KPA Supreme Commander’s Order #0045 on Raising the Military Ranks of Commanding Officers,” Minju Joson (in Korean), April 15, 2010; “Members, Alternate Members, WPK CC,” Korean Central News Agency, September 28, 2010; “Central Military Commission Organized,” Korean Central News Agency, September 28, 2010; “N. Korea’s Air Force Chief with Kim Jong Il on Russia Trip,” Chosun Ilbo, August 28, 2011; “SPA Presidium Decree Confers Order of Kim Jong Il on 70th Birth Anniversary,” Korean Central Broadcasting Station, February 13, 2012; “Air Force Commander Leaves for Russia,” Korean Central News Agency, August 7, 2012; “KPA Service Personnel Meet,” Korean Central News Agency, July 24, 2013; “Report of the Central Election Committee on the Election Results of deputies to the 13th Supreme People’s Assembly,” Korean Central News Agency (in Korean), March 11, 2014; “The NDC’s Fall Line-up: Results of the 13th SPA,” 38 North, October 6, 2014; “State Funeral Committee  for Ri Ul Sol,” Rodong Sinmun (in Korean), November 9, 2015; “State Funeral Committee for Kim Yang Gon,” Rodong Sinmun (in Korean), December 30, 2015; “Fourth and Final Day of the 7th Party Congress,” NK Leadership Watch, May 10, 2016; “WPK Central Committee and WPK Central Auditing Commission Meet,” NK Leadership Watch, May 10, 2016; “State Funeral Committee for Kang Sok Ju,” Rodong Sinmun (in Korean), May 21, 2016