Col. Gen. Ri Chang Ho
Col. Gen. Ri Chang Ho (3rd from right) holds up construction plans during KJU’s inspection of a KPA Navy base (Photo: KCNA).
updated 13 November 2024
Ri Chang Ho (Ri Ch’ang-ho) is Director of the Reconnaissance General Bureau [RGB] and Vice Chief of the Korean People’s Army [KPA] General Staff. Colonel General Ri is also a member of the WPK Central Military Commission.
Ri entered the ranks of KPA general-grade officers when he was promoted to Major General (sojang) during the May 2020 meeting of the WPK Central Military Commission. He was appointed RGB Director during the spring of 2022. Prior to assuming the RGB directorate, Ri was given his second star and promoted to Lieutenant General (chungjang). He was a member of Hyon Chol Hae’s state funeral committee in May 2022.
Ri Chang Ho inspects learning materials (top) and views a classroom during KJU’s 11 September 2024 inspection of a KPA special operations forces training facility (Photos: KCTV).
Ri Chang Ho was elected a member of the Central Military Commission in June 2022 and participated in four expanded sessions of the 8th Central Military Commission between 2022 and 2023, He led the RGB’s parade columns at the KPA anniversary parade in February 2023 and the war victory parade in July 2023.
Ri Chang Ho leads the RGB column during the February 2023 military parade marking the foundation of the KPA (Photo: KCTV).
Ri Chang Ho (right) attends KJU’s field inspection of KPA SOF elements in the western DPRK in October 2024. Also in attendance are XI Corps Vice Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Sin Kum Chol (left), XI Corps Commanding Officer Lt. Gen. Ri Pong Chun (2nd left), Chief of the KPA General Staff VMar Ri Yong Gil (3rd from right) and Vice Chief of the KPA General Staff for Light Infantry and SOF Training Col. Gen. Kim Yong Bok (2nd left) (Photo: KCNA).
Despite attending Kim Jong Un’s (KJU; Kim Cho’ng-u’n) inspections of the KPA General Staff and Ministry of National Defense as a member of the KPA’s high command, Ri Chang Ho maintains a relatively low public profile possibly owing to his position as one of North Korea’s most senior intelligence officials. In September and October 2024, Ri attended an unusually high number of KJU’s field inspections and public engagements including a ballistic missile test and live artillery exercises. Of these events, the most pertinent to Ri’s position as head of the RGB was KJU’s field inspection of the construction of a KPA Navy base on or around 7 September 2024; the RGB’s Maritime Department links with the KPA Navy for a variety of intelligence and special activities operations including the launch of the motherships.
RGB Director Col. Gen. Ri Chang Ho (background, left) participates in a national security consultative meeting in Pyongyang on 14 October 2024 (Photo: KCNA).
Ri Chang Ho was promoted to Colonel General (sangjang) in early October 2024, probably on or around 10 October, the anniversary of the Party’s (WPK) foundation. On 14 October 2024, Ri attended KJU’s consultative meeting with top DPRK national security principals at which he gave a report about ROK UAV incursions into North Korean territory.
According to Ukrainian intelligence reporting, Colonel General Ri traveled to Russia to stand up RGB and/or UAV elements which are part of North Korean Forces in Ukraine [NKFU].
