Ri, Yeong-ho

RI YEONG-HO (1942- ). A vice marshal in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) armed forces, who played a prominent role in the ceremonies following the death of DPRK leader Kim Jong Il in December 2011. According to an official biography published in 2010, Ri joined the Korean People's Army (KPA) in 1959 and later attended Kim Il Sung Military University. He held various positions, and by 2002, he was a major general. In 2003, he became commander of the command force that looks after the capital, Pyongyang, a position he held until 2009, when he became KPA chief of staff. At the September 2010 party conference, which saw the emergence of Kim Jong Un as the probable successor to Kim Jong Il, Ri became a member of the presidium of the Politburo of the Korean Workers' Party (KWP) and a vice chairman of the KWP Central Military Commission. Thereafter, he made frequent appearances with Kim Jong Il. He was listed as number four on Kim Jong Il's funeral committee in December 2011 and played a major role in the ceremonies marking Kim's death. He is believed to be a supporter of Kim Jong Un and is likely to play an important role among those guiding the younger Kim as he takes over from his father.

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