Change in North Korean Military's Top Rank... Why Was Ri Yong-gil, Subject to 'Execution Rumors,' Chosen Again?

'From Artillery Specialist Park Jeongcheon to Operations Expert Ri Yeonggil Replacement
Repeated Personnel Changes Lead to Military Rank No.1
Ri Yeonggil, Field and Operations Expert: "Aggressive Tactical Deployment"'

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] North Korea launched missile provocations from the first day of the new year, openly escalating nuclear threats, drawing attention to the background of replacing the 'top military leader' who will lead military policy. Park Jong-chon, vice chairman of the Workers' Party Central Military Commission, who achieved results last year with the 'legalization of nuclear forces' and the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), suddenly stepped down, and Ri Yong-gil, who was once rumored to have been 'executed,' was appointed.

According to the Korean Central News Agency on the 2nd, North Korea appointed Defense Minister Ri Yong-gil to the position of vice chairman and secretary of the Party Central Military Commission, previously held by Park Jong-chon, through the Party's 6th Plenary Meeting at the end of last year. The vice chairman of the Central Military Commission is the top-ranking position in the North Korean military hierarchy and corresponds to the 'second-in-command group' assisting Chairman Kim Jong-un.

Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, accompanied by Ri Yong-gil (left) [Image source=Yonhap News]

This personnel change is widely analyzed as Kim Jong-un's characteristic 'revolving door personnel' to induce loyalty competition. However, as North Korea has recently intensified its offensive against the South, Ri Yong-gil is evaluated as a figure suitable for new military policies. Unlike Park Jong-chon, who specialized in the artillery field, Ri Yong-gil, who has experience across military and public security sectors and is regarded as an operations expert, is expected to operate an aggressive defense strategy.

Chairman Kim Jong-un declared the 'transformative strategy for nuclear forces and defense development in 2023' through this plenary meeting report, defining the South as a 'clear enemy.' He emphasized, "The current situation demands mass production of tactical nuclear weapons and an exponential increase in the number of nuclear warheads." This is interpreted as a core focus on strengthening nuclear forces aimed at the South.

Ri Yong-gil has held various positions depending on personnel fluctuations. He is a former commander of the 5th Corps, responsible for the front line in the Gangwon region. In 2012, the first year of Kim Jong-un's rule, he was promoted to lieutenant general at the end of the year, then to general within eight months, eventually rising to Chief of the General Staff. However, he was suddenly dismissed in 2016 and disappeared from the public eye; at that time, the South Korean government stated he had been "executed."

However, it was later confirmed that Ri Yong-gil was demoted to Director of the Operations Bureau. He made a spectacular comeback as Chief of the General Staff in 2018 but was dismissed again the following year, with rumors of health issues. In September 2020, he returned as Minister of Social Security, equivalent to the South Korean National Police Chief, and was appointed Defense Minister in July 2021. He is essentially a 'person who has come back from the dead.'

There is also analysis that Ri Yong-gil's compliant nature, making him easy for Chairman Kim to handle, played a role in this appointment. Compared to his predecessor, Kim Jong-un lacks presence and charisma but likely elevated the loyal Ri Yong-gil. The same applies to Hyon Chol-hae, whom Kim personally cared for until his death. Hyon Chol-hae was a figure who served the Kim family for three generations and is evaluated to have a similar disposition to Ri Yong-gil.

Jung Sung-jang, director of the North Korea Research Center at the Sejong Institute, said, "While Park Jong-chon showed outstanding expertise in artillery, Ri Yong-gil, having covered multiple fields, seems more suitable for overall military management," adding, "Among military personnel, he is considered flexible and likely easier for Kim Jong-un to manage."

Conflicting Evaluations within the Government: "Disciplinary Personnel Change" vs. "Consideration of Expertise"

Kim Jong-un: "Exponentially increase the stockpile of nuclear warheads"
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The background of the sudden dismissal of Park Jong-chon, who had been rising steadily since Kim Jong-un's rule began, is also a matter of interest. Since other military leaders were also replaced, some speculate it is a 'disciplinary personnel change,' but interpretations vary as Kim did not explicitly mention it as such.

Park Su-il, former corps commander, was appointed Chief of the General Staff, equivalent to South Korea's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Kim Su-gil, who was sanctioned last month by the U.S. Treasury Department for involvement in ballistic missile development, became the Pyongyang City Party Secretary (top official). Kim Yong-chol, who handed over the position of head of the United Front Department to Ri Son-gwon in June last year, was not mentioned this time, leaving his status unclear.

The Ministry of Unification officially announced that "major position holders were simply replaced reflecting poor performance in the people's livelihood sector without introducing new experts," and that "(those who were pushed out) are presumed to be disciplinary personnel changes due to poor performance."

On the other hand, the National Security Strategy Institute under the National Intelligence Service evaluated this personnel change as a "large-scale personnel change considering expertise." The institute explained, "Compared to Park Jong-chon, Ri Yong-gil is a field and operations expert who has served as a corps commander, and it appears that North Korea appointed a figure suitable for operating the newly introduced offensive tactics," adding, "Kim Su-gil also has experience as Gangwon Province Party Secretary, so this can be seen as a personnel change considering expertise."

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