New Vice Premier Appointed
Ri Mu Yong (Photo: KCNA)
Minister of Chemical Industry, Yi Mu-yo’ng (Ri Mu Yong), was appointed Vice Premier of the Cabinet. Ri was first elected to the SPA in 1998 and was elected a member of the Party Central Committee (CC KWP) in September 2010. He has worked as minister since his appointment in September 2003 during the 1st session (plenum) of the 11th SPA. KCNA reported on the 31 May decision:
Ri Mu Yong was appointed as vice-premier of the DPRK Cabinet, according to a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly promulgated on Tuesday.
It seems Yi is filling the vacancy left by the retirement of Yi T’ae-nam which occurred during the 4th session (plenum) of the 12th SPA on 7 April 2011. If this is the case, Pyongyang watchers may wonder why the vacancy was not filled during the April SPA session, and what event or circumstances (if any) underscore the appointment.
Workers and officials at a national report meeting, attended by members of the central leadership, at Namhu'ng Youth Chemical Complex on 1 May 2011 (Photo: KCNA)
With Yi’s appointment the current line-up of the DPRK’s Premier and Vice Premiers of the Cabinet is:
DPRK Premier Choe Yo'ng-rim (Choe Yong Rim) June 2010
Vice Premier and Minister of Electronics Industry Han Kwang-pok (Han Kwang Bok) June 2010
Vice Premier and Minister of Machine-Building Industry Cho Pyo'ng-chu (Jo Pyong Ju) June 2010
Vice Premier Cho'n Ha-ch'o'l (Jon Ha Chol) June 2010
Vice Premier Kang Nu'ng-su (Kang Nung Su) June 2010
Vice Premier Kang So'k-chu (Kang Sok Ju) September 2010
Vice Premier Kim Rak-hu'i (Kim Rak Hui) June 2010 (Photo: KCNA)
Vice Premier and Minister of Finance Pak Su-kil (Pak Su Gil) September 2009
Vice Premier and Minister of Chemical Industry Yi Mu-yo'ng (Ri Mu Yong) May 2011
Vice Premier and Chairman of the State Planning Commission Ro Tu-ch'o'l (Ro Tu Chol) September 2003
Cabinet Vice Premiers among senior party and government leaders visiting Mangyo'ngdae on Kim Il-so'ng's birthday (15 April) in 2011: Cho'n Ha-ch'o'l (L); Ro Tu-ch'o'l (3rd L); Kang So'k-chu (4th L); Han Kwang-pok (3rd R); and, Cho Pyo'ng-chu (R)
