North Korea Announces Appointment of Ri Yong-gil as New Military Chief

Some people may try to read more into this, but Ri Yong-gil is replacing someone 84 years old.  This may just be a natural leadership transition or horse trading to appease different powerbroker within North Korea.  I can remember when it was believed that Ri was executed by Kim Jong-un, now here he is as chief of the military:

North Korea’s state media confirmed on Friday that Ri Yong Gil has become the new chief of the military’s general staff, the latest in leader Kim Jong Un’s leadership change.

As Kim shifts the focus to the economy and pursues diplomacy with the United States, he has been replacing older, more conservative officers who were wedded to the country’s nuclear doctrine with loyalists who would follow any changes he may make, U.S. officials and analysts say.

The North’s official KCNA agency said Ri accompanied Kim on his visit to a war veterans’ cemetery as the army’s chief of general staff, marking the 65th anniversary of the armistice agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.

Ri formerly held the four-star position before he was briefly demoted deputy chief and three stars for an unspecified reason in 2016.

His return adds the recent appointments of No Kwang Chol, first vice defense minister, as the defense chief, and Army General Kim Su Gil as director of the military’s powerful General Political Bureau.

All of the newly promoted officials are younger than their predecessors, even though they are all in their 60s. Ri is 63 years old, 21 years younger than his predecessor, Ri Myong Su.  [Reuters]

According to NK Leadership Watch Ri’s prior issues that led to his supposed execution had to do with his unhappiness with what he felt was unearned authority in military affairs given to Workers Party members.  Whatever issues had previously occurred between him, the Workers Party, and Kim Jong-un have been clearly ironed out.