Ri Byong-chol's Rapid Promotion... Has North Korea Completed New Weapon Development?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Ri Byong-chol, the key figure behind North Korea's development of strategic weapons such as nuclear arms and missiles, has attracted attention by entering the Standing Committee of the Workers' Party Political Bureau, the pinnacle of power. In the military field, he has become the firm 'number 2.' The Political Bureau is a core organization that organizes and leads all state affairs, including national policy and decisions, under the leadership system of the Workers' Party in North Korea, with the Standing Committee at its apex.

On the 13th, North Korea held a Political Bureau meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party presided over by Chairman Kim Jong-un, where Ri Byong-chol, Vice Chairman of the Party Central Military Commission, was elected as a member of the Political Bureau Standing Committee along with newly appointed Premier Kim Deok-hoon. With the Standing Committee reorganized into a five-member body, Vice Chairman Ri and Premier Kim were included.

Vice Chairman Ri is a figure who has been leading nuclear and missile development under the Kim Jong-un regime and has been rising steadily. Over the past several years, he has accompanied Chairman Kim at every major weapons test site, demonstrating his influence in North Korea's weapons development sector. In August 2016, during the test launch of the submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) "Pukguksong," he was seen sitting and smoking alongside Kim Jong-un, and in June of the same year, a photo was released showing him embracing Kim after the successful launch of the Musudan medium-range missile.

Recently, North Korea has been focusing on test launches of a new set of four weapons: the new tactical guided missile (tactical guided weapon, North Korean version of Iskander), the super-large multiple rocket launcher, the new large-caliber guided multiple rocket launcher, and the North Korean version of ATACMS. Vice Chairman Ri is deeply involved in the development of these weapons. In this regard, appointing Ri Byong-chol, responsible for strategic weapons development, as the Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, the second-in-command, is interpreted as a declaration of intent to lead a military strategy centered on strategic weapons.

Experts also predict that the possibility of an actual show of force by North Korea before November cannot be ruled out. North Korea has already publicly announced the successful test launch of the new SLBM "Pukguksong-3," which could enable the early construction of submarines capable of launching SLBMs.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.