Ri Yong-ho (politician)

For the North Korean military officer, see Ri Yong-ho.
This is a Korean name; the family name is Ri.
Ri Yong-ho

Ri in 2016
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Assumed office
9 May 2016
Premier Pak Pong-ju
Preceded by Ri Su-yong
Personal details
Born 1956 (age 59–60)
Alma mater Pyongyang Foreign Language University
Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl 리용호
Hancha 李容浩[1]
Revised Romanization I Yong-ho
McCune–Reischauer Ri Yong-ho

Ri Yong-ho (Korean: 리용호; born 1956) is a North Korean politician and diplomat, currently serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Korea.

Ri is known as a skillful negotiator with experience in negotiating with the U.S. on the North Korean nuclear program. In particular, he has headed North Korea's negotiators at the Six-party talks. His diplomatic career spans more than 30 years, including posts in various embassies, including as ambassador to the United Kingdom. Schooled in the elite institutions of North Korea, Ri is proficient in English.

Ri is a full member of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, an alternate member of its Politburo and a deputy to the 13th Supreme People's Assembly.

Early life

Ri was born in 1956;[2] his father is Ri Myong-je, a close aide of the Kim dynasty. Ri graduated from the elite Namsan High School in Pyongyang in 1973. He majored in English at the Pyongyang Foreign Language University.[3]

Career

Ri is a career diplomat,[4] with more than 30 years of service in foreign policy.[5] Proficient in English,[6] he is described as "a skilled negotiator".[5] Ri has particularly lot of experience in negotiating with the U.S. on the issue of the North Korean nuclear program.[7]

Ri entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1978. In 1979, he became a secretary at the North Korean embassy in Zimbabwe for four years. Between 1985 and 1988 he served as a secretary at the North Korean embassy to Sweden.[3] Later, in the 2000s, he would hold the title of ambassador in Western European countries,[8] including the ambassador to the United Kingdom between 2003 and 2007.[5]

After his post in Sweden, Ri returned to the foreign ministry in 1988, where he was leader, supervisor and vice director of the International Organizations Bureau of the ministry. This post allowed him to become involved in negotiations with the U.S. In 1995 he was promoted a counselor at the ministry. At the time, he was described as a close ally of Kang Sok-ju.[3] He took part in direct negotiations with the U.S. in the 1990s,[9] and was North Korea's leading representative at the Six-party talks from 2011.[7] Ri's team negotiated the "Leap day agreement" during the Six-party talks.[4] In October 2000, he was ambassador-at-large accompanying Jo Myong-rok to negotiations in Washington.[3] In 2011, Ri met with South Korean negotiators in Bali to broker a deal on continuing nuclear disarmament talks.[10]

Ri is currently the Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Korea,[11] sine 9 May 2016.[8] Ri had served as the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs from 23 September 2010,[8][12] part of it under his predecessor, Ri Su-yong.[4][11]

Ri Yong-ho's promotion came after the 7th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, which made him a full member of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea,[13] and an alternate member of its Politburo.[4] Previously, since 28 September 2010, he had been an alternate member of the Central Committee. Ri is also a deputy to the 13th Supreme People's Assembly.[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 北朝鮮、新外相に李容浩を任命 [Ri Yong-ho appointed as North Korea's Minister of Foreign Affairs]. JoongAng Ilbo (in Japanese). 18 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  2. ↑ 주요인물: 리용호 [Key Figures: Ri Yong-ho] (in Korean). Ministry of Unification. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 North Korea Handbook. M.E. Sharpe. 2002. pp. 186–187. ISBN 978-0-7656-3523-5.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Hoe Sang-hun (18 May 2016). "North Korea Is Said to Appoint Career Envoy as Foreign Minister". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 Sridharan, Vasudevan (17 May 2016). "North Korea appoints Ri Yong Ho as new foreign minister". International Business Times UK. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  6. ↑ "N. Korea taps Ri Yong-ho as top diplomat: source". Yonhap. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  7. 1 2 Grisafi, John G. (16 May 2016). "North Korea appoints new Foreign Minister: Pyongyang's leading man on Six Party Talks becomes chief of foreign affairs". NK News. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Ri Yong Ho (Foreign Affairs)". North Korea Leadership Watch. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  9. ↑ "North Korea names Ri Yong-ho as foreign minister". BBC News. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  10. ↑ Hyung-jin Kim (17 May 2016). "North Korea names ex-nuclear envoy as new foreign minister". The Big Story. Associated Press. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  11. 1 2 Munroe, Tony; Ju-min Park (17 May 2016). "New North Korean foreign minister was its disarmament negotiator". Reuters. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  12. ↑ Lim, Andy (17 May 2016). "Impact Players: Ri Yong-ho". Center for Strategic & International Studies. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  13. ↑ Panda, Ankit (18 May 2016). "North Korea Has a New Foreign Minister". The Diplomat. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
Political offices
Preceded by
Ri Su-yong		 Minister of Foreign Affairs
2016–present 		Incumbent
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