Choe Ryong-hae

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Supreme Commander
Kim Jong Un
Preceded byJo Myong-rok
Succeeded byHwang Pyong-so
Personal details
Born (1950-01-15) 15 January 1950 (age 74)
Sinchon County, South Hwanghae Province, North Korea
Political partyWorkers' Party of Korea
Children3
Parent
Alma materKim Il Sung University
Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl
최룡해
Hancha
崔龍海[1]
Revised RomanizationChoe Ryonghae
McCune–ReischauerCh'oe Ryonghae
Central institution membership
  • 2016-present: Member, Presidium of the Political Bureau of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
  • 1986-present: Full Member, 6th, 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
  • 2010-2012: Alternate Member, Political Bureau of the 6th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
  • 2010-2016: Member, Secretariat of the Workers' Party of Korea
  • 2012-present: Full Member, Political Bureau of the 6th, 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
  • 2016-present: Member, Executive Policy Bureau of the Workers' Party of Korea
Politics of North Korea
Constitution
Workers' Party of Korea
Congress (8th)
14th term
State Affairs Commission
14th term
Cabinet
14th term
Elections
Administrative divisions
Foreign relations
Related topics
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Choe Ryong-hae

Vice Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). He also served as Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un's military second-in-command,[3] currently being third top-ranking official in North Korea after Kim Jong Un and premier Kim Tok-hun.[4]

Early life

Choe Ryong-hae was born in

defence minister of North Korea. As such, Choe is considered a second-generation revolutionary from a privileged background.[5] He joined the Korean People's Army (KPA) in 1967 and graduated from Kim Il Sung University as a political and economic expert.[6]

Career

Choe's political career began in the 1970s when he worked as a political instructor on behalf of the

Hero of the DPRK in 1993.[5] He was replaced as first secretary of the Youth League by Ri Il-hwan at the 14th plenary meeting of the league's central committee (January 1998), officially "due to his illness". This was actually because routine party audits found he was selling scrap metal to foreign buyers without official permission. He was facing execution but Kim Kyong-hui, only sister of then leader Kim Jong Il, intervened to save his life.[7][8]

After facing re-education through labour, Choe was deputy director of the General Affairs Department of the WPK Central Committee,

WPK Secretariat and Central Military Commission, and Politburo alternate member. He was also appointed secretary for military affairs.[5]

Choe did not receive particular public attention until General Secretary

member of the National Defence Commission (NDC), largely filling the post left unoccupied by Jo Myong-rok's death and working as power broker for Kim Jong Un.[9]

Choe, considered a protégé of

Military First Policy, particularly after Vice Marshal Ri Yong-ho's dismissal.[10] In fact, Choe does not have a strong military background[11] and seems to support the employment of soldiers to build civilian facilities. The Chosun Ilbo reports that a diplomatic source said Choe is appointing Socialist Youth League members to key military posts and "has assumed control of various businesses run by the military, losing trust and loyalty among the troops."[11] Choe's inspections are the only ones, besides Kim Jong Un's and the Premier
's, to be reported nationwide by state media.

By December 2012, Choe was demoted from Vice Marshal to General, as he was listed KPA General at a national meeting marking the first death anniversary of Kim Jong Il on 16 December and at the inaugural ceremony of the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun,[12] though he wore KPA Vice Marshal insignia at the rally celebrating the successful Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2 launch on 14 December.[13] This would be concurrent with Hyon Yong-chol's demotion to the same rank and Kim Jong-gak's removal as defence minister, and may be a consequence of the army's growing dissatisfaction over Choe's tenure.[13] Choe was seen inexplicably wearing the Vice Marshal insignia again at a meeting in February 2013[14] and became Kim Jong Un's special envoy for strategic partner China.[15]

Choe was appointed the first-ranking vice-chairman of the NDC in April 2014, apparently reinforcing his number two position,

Asian Games. He was also restored to his Presidium position in late October,[19] and finally demoted from it next February, although he remained a high-ranking member of the Politburo. Reports suggested arrogance and bad reputation among the elites as reasons leading to his downgrading.[20] He was, however, reelected as a Presidium member at the 7th Party Congress in May 2016.[21]

In November 2014, Choe brought a letter from Kim Jong Un to Russian president Vladimir Putin.[22]

Choe's second son, Choe Song, was reported in January 2015 to have married Kim Jong Un's younger sister, Kim Yo-jong in late 2014.[23]

In 2017, Choe was appointed to the party's Central Military Commission.[24]

In October 2017, he was appointed the director of the

Kim family. His immediate predecessor had been Kim Jong Un.[8]

In April 2019, he became the

President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly.[2]

Sanctions

In December 2018, the United States Department of State and the Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on Choe and two other North Korean officials for suspected human rights abuses and state-sponsored censorship activities.[25][3]

Personal life

Choe reportedly has two sons and one daughter.[26]

Awards and honors

The official portrait of Choe shows Choe wearing all the decorations awarded to him.[27]

Notes

  1. ^ 최룡해

References

  1. ^ a b c 최룡해(남성). 북한정보포털 (in Korean). 통일부. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b "N.K. leader re-elected as chairman of State Affairs Commission". Yonhap News Agency. 12 April 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Treasury Sanctions North Korean Officials and Entities in Response to the Regime's Serious Human Rights Abuses and Censorship". U.S. Department of the Treasury.
  4. ^ "North Korea's premier now ranks as top official. Is he Kim Jong Un's successor?". NK PRO. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Choe Ryong Hae (Ch'oe Ryong-hae)". North Korea Leadership Watch. 23 February 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  6. ^ "Brief History of Member of Presidium, Members and Alternate Members of Political Bureau of C.C., WPK Elected to Fill Vacancies". Korean Central News Agency. 11 April 2012. Archived from the original on 24 November 2019.
  7. ^ "14th meeting of Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League CC held". Korean Central News Agency. 26 January 1998. Archived from the original on 24 November 2019.
  8. ^ a b "Choe Ryong Hae to OGD? [revised 13 JAN 2018]". North Korea Leadership Watch. 13 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  9. ^ Ottens, Nick (13 April 2012). "Kim Jong-un Indispensable to North Korean Regime". Atlantic Sentinel. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  10. ^ "N.Korean Military in Crisis". The Chosun Ilbo. 18 July 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  11. ^ a b "Kim Jong-un Beefs Up Security Amid Fear of Unrest". The Chosun Ilbo. 6 December 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  12. ^ "Inaugural Ceremony of Renovated Kumsusan Palace of Sun Held". Korean Central News Agency. 17 December 2012. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  13. ^ a b "Choe Ryong Hae Taken Down a Peg?". North Korea Leadership Watch. 16 December 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  14. ^ "Choi Ryong Hae Restored to Former Glory". Daily NK. 6 February 2013. Archived from the original on 8 April 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  15. ^ Branigan, Tania (22 May 2013). "North Korea sends special envoy to patch up relations with China". the Guardian. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  16. ^ 北 최고인민회의 결과 발표...김영남·박봉주 유임(상보). News 1 Korea. 9 April 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  17. ^ Grisafi, John G. (3 May 2014). "Choe Ryong Hae not purged, but no longer No. 2". NK News. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  18. Choe, Sang-hun (2 May 2014). "In Latest Government Shuffle, North Korean Leader Removes No. 2 Official From Top Posts". The New York Times
    . Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  19. ^ Keck, Zachary (27 November 2014). "Choe Ryong-hae is North Korea's Number 2... Again". The Diplomat. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  20. ^ Kim, Subin (14 April 2015). "Choe Ryong Hae loses KJU's faith but retains importance: Expert". NK News. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  21. ^ Choe, Sang-hun (9 May 2016). "North Korea Expels BBC Journalists Over Coverage". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  22. ^ Foster-Carter, Aiden (21 November 2014). "Mistrust Runs Deep in North Korea-Russia Ties". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  23. ^ "Kim Jong Un's Little Sister Married Son of Top Regime Official, Report Says". The Wall Street Journal. 2 January 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  24. ^ "Choe Ryong-hae elected to N.K. ruling party's central military commission". Yonhap News Agency. 8 October 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  25. ^ Morin, Rebecca (10 December 2018). "U.S. sanctions 3 senior North Korean officials". Politico. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  26. ^ "NK leader's sister weds son of Choe Ryong-hae: sources". Yonhap News Agency. Yonhap News Agency. 2 January 2015. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021.
  27. ^ Kim, Sarah (15 January 2016). "Choe Ryong-hae surfaces in North". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
Assembly seats
Preceded by President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly
2019–present 		Incumbent
Government offices
Vacant
Title last held by
Jo Myong-rok
(1st Vice Chair of National Defence Commission) 		First Vice President of the State Affairs Commission
2019–present 		Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by
 First Secretary of the
Kim Il-sung Socialist Youth League
1986–1998 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission
2012–2014
Served alongside: Ri Yong-ho (2012)
Hyon Yong-chol (2012–2013) 		Vacant
Title next held by
Pak Jong-chon
Preceded by Director of the WPK Workers' and Social Organizations Department
2014–2017 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairman of the State Physical Culture and Sports Guidance Commission
2014–2017 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Director of the WPK Organization and Guidance Department
2017–2019 		Succeeded by
Military offices
Vacant
Title last held by
Jo Myong-rok 		Director of the KPA General Political Bureau
2012–2014 		Succeeded by
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