Ri Yong-gil facts for kids

Ri Yong-gil (Chosŏn'gŭl: 리영길, born in 1952) is an important military leader in North Korea. He holds two major positions: he is a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea and the Chief of the General Staff. These roles mean he helps lead the country's military and makes big decisions.

Ri Yong-gil's Military Journey

Ri Yong-gil started his military career in 1969. He became a Lieutenant General in April 2002. From 2002 to 2007, he led the 3rd Army Corps. After that, he commanded the 5th Army Corps from 2007 to 2012. These are large groups of soldiers.

Rising Through the Ranks

In 2010, Ri Yong-gil was promoted to Colonel General. He also became a member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. This committee is a very important group that helps run the country.

In late 2012, he became the chief of the General Staff Operations Bureau. In this role, he helped coordinate different army groups. He reported directly to the top military leaders.

Becoming Chief of the General Staff

In August 2013, Ri Yong-gil was appointed Chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army. This is one of the highest military positions. Around the same time, he was promoted to a full general.

Ri (right) at a meeting in 2019.

In early 2016, some news reports said that Ri Yong-gil had been removed from his position. However, these reports were not true. In May 2016, it was announced that he was still a member of the Central Committee. He also joined the Central Military Commission. This showed that the earlier rumours were false.

By April 2017, he was identified as the first deputy chief of the General Staff. He also directed the General Operations Bureau. In July 2018, he was promoted to a 4-star general again. He once more became the Chief of the General Staff until 2019. After that, he worked as a director in a party department.

New Roles and Promotions

In January 2021, Ri Yong-gil was re-elected to the Politburo. This is another very important political group. He became the new Minister of Social Security. Later that year, in September, he moved to become the Minister of Defense. He also joined the State Affairs Commission.

On April 14, 2022, he received a very high military rank: Vice Marshal of the KPA. This promotion came from the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea. On December 31, 2022, he was appointed as a vice chairman of this important commission. He also became the Chief of the General Staff again on August 10, 2023.

Awards and Honors

Ri Yong-gil has received many awards and honors throughout his long military career. These awards are shown on his uniform as ribbons.