Ri Yong-ho

Vice Marshal Ri Yong-ho (Korean: 리영호, Hanja: 李英鎬) (born October 5, 1942) is a North Korean military officer, and member of the central presidium of the Workers' Party of Korea since September 2010.

Born in Tongchon County, Kangwon Province, he joined the Korean People's Army in August 1959.

After graduation from the Kim Il Sung Military University, he worked as chief of staff of a division, director of the operations department of an army corps, head of a training center, vice-director of the operations department of the general staff, its deputy chief and head of a training center of the KPA.

He was promoted to Major General in April 2002, and afterwards he served as commander of the Pyongyang Defence Command from 2003 to 2009.

He was appointed Chief of General Staff of the KPA in February 2009.^[1]

He was elected a member of the Presidium of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea as well as vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission at the Party Conference held on September 28, 2010. He was also promoted to Vice Marshal immediately before the Conference. Afterwards, he appeared jointly with Kim Jong-il on several occasions, and he gave the keynote speech during the military parade in October celebrating the WPK's 65th anniversary.

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