Gen. Choe Pu Il

updated February 24, 2018

General Choe Pu Il is Minister of the People’s Security, the DPRK’s senior domestic law enforcement official.  Gen. Choe is a Member of the State Affairs Commission, the Workers’ Party of Korea [WPK] Political Bureau and the WPK Central Military Commission [CMC].  He is also a member of the WPK Central Committee and a deputy to the Supreme People’s Assembly [SPA].

Choe Pu Il attended Kim Il-song Military University.  He was commissioned into the KPA Naval Command (Korean People’s Navy) and spent the early portion of his career in the Korean People’s Army’s (KPA) Sports and Physical Culture Guidance Committee where, among other positions, he managed the 25 April Sports Group.  In this position he routinely interacted with the central leadership, including Kim Jong Il.  Gen. Choe has held a series of administrative and political officer positions in the KPA.

Choe Pu Il was promoted to Lieutenant General on 8 October 1995.  He has held positions as a brigade commander, chief of staff in an army corps and a corps commander.  A former basketball player, Choe was said to have formed an elite DPRK team that practiced and played with Kim Jong Il’s sons, Kim Jong Chol and Kim Jong Un

Choe was promoted to Colonel General in July 2006.  He was reported to have attended a reception at the PRC Embassy with Kim Jong Il in March 2007 and KJI’s inspection of a KPA unit in November, 2007.  Choe was appointed Vice Chief of the KPA General Staff in February 2009.

Choe was promoted to General several hours ahead of the 3^rd Party Conference and CC KWP September 2010 Plenary Meeting.  At these meetings, Choe was elected to full membership on the WPK Central Committee and membership on the WPK Central Military Commission.  On October 10, 2010 Choe led the military parade held to celebrate the 65^th anniversary of the foundation of the Korean Workers’ Party.  Gen. Choe served briefly as Chief of the KPA General Staff Operations Bureau and ex aequo 1st Chief of the KPA General Staff.  During 2012 he was demoted to the rank of Colonel-General (three star).

In February 2013 Choe was appointed Minister of the People’s Security.  On 31 March 2013, Choe Pu Il was elected as an alternate (candidate) member of the WPK Political Bureau.  On 1 April 2013 Gen. Choe was elected a member of the National Defense Commission in line with his position as People’s Security Minister.  In June 2013 Choe Pu Il was restored to the rank of four-star General.  In September 2013 Choe led a DPRK delegation on an official visit to Mongolia. During 2014, Gen. Choe publicly apologized after a Pyongyang apartment building, constructed by People’s Security construction personnel, collapsed.

Choe was elected to the 7th WPK Central Committee, a full member of the WPK Political Bureau and the WPK Central Military Commission during the 7th Party Congress in May 2016.  At the SPA session that followed a month later he was elected a member of the State Affairs Commission.

According to DPRK state media, Choe Pu Il was born in March 1944 and joined the KPA in September 1961.

Choe Pu Il

Minister of People’s Security

 

Member, State Affairs Commission

Member, WPK Political Bureau

Member, WPK Central Military Commission

Member, 7th WPK Central Committee

Deputy, 13th SPA

Education

Kim Il-song Military University

Positions held

1990s: Manager 4.25 Sports Group, KPA Sports and Physical Culture Guidance Committee

1995: Promoted, Lieutenant General

2006: Promoted, Colonel General

2009: Vice Chief of GSD

2010: (September) Promoted, General

Elected, Member, 6th WPK Central Committee

Elected, Member, WPK Central Military Commission

(November) Member, Jo Myong Funeral Committee

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

2012: Chief of the KPA General Staff Operations Bureau

2013: (February) Appointed Minister of People’s Security

(March) Elected, alternate member of the WPK Political Bureau

(April) Elected, Member of the National Defense Commission

(December) Member, Kim Kuk Thae Funeral Committee

2014: (April) Deputy, 13th SPA

(July) Member, Jon Pyong Ho Funeral Committee

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

(December) Member, Kim Yang Gon Funeral Committee

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

Elected, Member, WPK Political Bureau

Elected, Member, WPK Central Military Commission

Member, Kang Sok Ju Funeral Committee

(June) Elected, Member, State Affairs Commission

See also:

“Kim Jong Il Promotes KPA Generals,” KCBS, October 8, 1995

“Kim Jong Il Inspects Sub-unit of Navy Unit 291,” KCBS, November 11, 2007

“Kim Jong Il Visits PRC Embassy on the Occasion of the Lunar New Year,” KCBS, March 4, 2007

“Report on Plenary Meeting of WPK Central Committee,” Korean Central News Agency, March 31, 2013

“Kim Jong Un Guides Plenary Meeting on 31 March,” Korean Central Broadcasting Station and Korean Central Television, March 31, 2013

“Seventh Session of 12th SPA of DPRK Held,” Korean Central News Agency, April 1, 2013

“Comrade Choe Pu Il, Alternate Member of the Political Bureau,” Rodong Sinmun (in Korean), April 1, 2013