Ri Ul-sol

Marshal Ri Ul-sol (리을설; 14 September 1921 – 7 November 2015) was a North Korean politician and military official. He played an important role in the administrations of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, achieving the rank of Marshal of the Korean People's Army. He was responsible for the safety of top North Korean leaders and their families as Commander of the Guard.

In this Korean name, the family name is Ri.
Ri Ul-sol
Born14 September 1921
Seishin (Chongjin), North Hamgyong Province, Japanese-ruled Korea
Died7 November 2015(2015-11-07) (aged 94)
Allegiance North Korea
Service/branchKorean People's Army
Years of service1930s–2004
Rank Marshal of the Korean People's Army
Battles/warsWorld War II
Korean War
AwardsOrder of Kim Il-sung
Hero of Labour
Order of the National Flag (1st class)
Hero of the DPRK (twice)
Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl
리을설
Hancha
李乙雪
Revised RomanizationI Eulseol
McCune–ReischauerRi Ŭlsŏl

Early life and education

Ri Ul-sol was born in 1921 in Chongjin, North Hamgyong Province.[1]

He may have been trained at the Okeanskaya Field School in Vladivostok or in the RKKA Military Academy in Khabarovsk, both in the Soviet Union.[1]

His Military Career

In the late 1930s, Ri was a soldier in Kim Il-sung's United Army, which was a partisan unit.[1] He fought for Korea's independence from Japan alongside Kim Il-sung in World War II.[2] Ri served in the 88th Sniper Brigade with Kim Il-sung, Kim Chol-man and other first-generation North Korean politicians.[3] During the outbreak of the Korean War, Ri Ul-sol was responsible for the care of Kim Jong-il and Kim Kyong-hui, the children of Kim Il-sung.[4] It is said that Ri assumed the position of surrogate father to Kim Jong-il, the future North Korean leader.[1]

He was promoted through the North Korean military system, earning the following ranks:[1]

Rank/positionDate promotedUnit
Regiment Commanding OfficerAugust 1948(unknown regiment)
Chief of StaffJuly 19504th Division, Korean People's Army
Commanding OfficerApril 19513rd Regiment, 15th Division, Korean People's Army
Major GeneralMarch 1957Korean People's Army
Division CommanderMarch 1957(unknown division)
Lieutenant GeneralOctober 1962Korean People's Army
Commanding OfficerOctober 19625th Army Corps, Korean People's Army
Commanding OfficerMarch 19681st Army Corps, Korean People's Army
Colonel GeneralFebruary 1972Korean People's Army
GeneralApril 1985Korean People's Army
Vice MarshalApril 1992Korean People's Army
MarshalOctober 1995Korean People's Army
Commanding OfficerFebruary 1996Guard Command, Korean People's Army

He was one of only a handful to have been promoted to the rank of Marshal, the second highest North Korean military rank. (The others are or were Kim Jong-il, O Jin-u, Choe Kwang, Kim Jong-un, Kim Yong-chun, Hyon Chol-hae, Ri Pyong-chol and Pak Jong-chon). His full title was Marshal of the Korean People's Army.[1][2][3][4] In his other major position, Commander of the Guard (1996–2003), he was responsible for guarding the top North Korean officials, including Kim Jong-il and his family.[5] The Guard Command is one of the few military positions which show little turnover, as Ri managed to hold onto his position from 1984 to 2003.[6] Furthermore, Ri Ul-sol became a member of the Central Military Commission of the WPK in October 1980, and a member of the National Defence Commission in May 1990.[1]

Political career

Ri was a deputy delegate to the 3rd, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th Supreme People's Assemblies. In the 10th SPA, he represented Electoral District 583, and in the 12th SPA, he represented Electoral District 1.[1] He was also a member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea in November 1970.[1]

He was part of the Funeral Committees for both Kim Il-sung and O Jin-u. The funeral committees are often seen as an indicator of de facto power.[7][8][1]

Politically, Ri Ul-sol was one of the last surviving members of the first generation of North Korean leadership. He was seen as an ultraconservative.[2] He retired from most of his positions in 2003 during a reshuffle and was subsequently not considered to be a major player in North Korean politics.[6][9]

Awards

Ri Ul-sol was the recipient of various awards, including the Order of Kim Il-sung, Hero of Labour and Order of the National Flag (1st class). He was twice awarded the title of the Hero of the DPRK.[1]

Death

Ri Ul-sol died of lung cancer on 7 November 2015.[10] His funeral committee consisted of 169 members, with Kim Jong-un as chairman.[11]

References
  1. "Ri Ul-sol" (PDF). North Korean Leadership Watch. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  2. "Ri Ul-sol". Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  3. "Kim Kyong-hui an SPA No-show". North Korean Leadership Watch. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  4. "Kim Family". North Korea Leadership Watch. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  5. Moon, Chung-in (1998). "Understanding regime dynamics in North Korea". International Political Science Association: 105.
  6. Haggard, Stephan. "Purges and Appointments I: What's Going On?". Peterson Institute for International Economics. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  7. Hakoda, Tetsuya (27 December 2011). "All eyes set on Kim Jong Il's funeral committee list". Asahi Shimbun. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
  8. "Clues from Kim Jong-il Funeral List". Chosun Ilbo. 20 December 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
  9. "N.Korea Purges Party, Military". Chosun Ilbo. 5 February 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  10. "Ri Ul Sol Dies". KCNA. 8 November 2015. Archived from the original on 30 June 2018.
  11. "Ri Ul Sol Funeral Committee: Who's On, Who's Not". North Korea Leadership Watch. 9 November 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
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