Ri Son-gwon

Ri Son-gwon (Korean: 리선권[1]) is a North Korean politician and diplomat who has served as chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland. Between January 2020 and June 2022, he served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In this Korean name, the family name is Ri.

Senior Colonel
Ri Son-gwon
Head of the United Front Department of the Workers' Party of Korea
Assumed office
11 June 2022
Party LeaderKim Jong Un
Preceded byKim Yong-chol
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
21 January 2020 – 11 June 2022
PresidentKim Jong Un
PremierKim Tok Hun
Kim Jae-ryong
Preceded byRi Yong-ho
Succeeded byChoe Son-hui
Personal details
Political partyWorkers' Party of Korea
Military service
Allegiance North Korea
Branch/service Korean People's Army
RankSenior Colonel
Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl
Hancha
Revised RomanizationRi Seongwon
McCune–ReischauerRi Sŏn'gwŏn

Career

Ri led a North Korean delegation for the first high-level inter-Korean talks in more than two years in January 2018. He was once known the right-hand man of Kim Yong-chol, and appeared at a second round of inter-Korean working-level military talks in October 2006. He also served as a Senior Colonel within the Korean People's Army.[2]

In January 2020, he was named in media reports as the successor for Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho.[3][4][5]

On 11 February 2021, he was elected as a member of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea.[6] On 11 June 2022, during the fifth enlarged plenary meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the WPK, Ri was appointed as the head of the United Front Department. He was succeeded by Choe Son-hui as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.[7]

References
  1. 리선권(남성). nkinfo.unikorea.go.kr (in Korean). n.d. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  2. O'Carroll, Chad (18 January 2020). "Ri Yong Ho replaced as North Korean foreign minister, sources say". NK News. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  3. "North Korea picks army man who led Korean talks as top envoy". The Straits Times. Bloomberg. 19 January 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  4. "Kim Jong Un sacks foreign minister, says report". Financial Times. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  5. Johnson, Jesse (19 January 2020). "North Korea ditches top diplomat in reshuffle that could impact nuclear talks". The Japan Times Online. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  6. "N. Korean Foreign Minister Ri named politburo member". Yonhap News Agency. 12 February 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  7. "N. Korean leader stresses need for stronger national defense". Yonhap News Agency. 11 June 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2023.


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