Premier Pak Pong-ju Chosŏn'gŭl 리용호 Revised Romanization I Yong-ho | Preceded by Ri Su-yong Hancha 李容浩 McCune–Reischauer Ri Yong-ho | |
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Alma mater Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies | ||
Ri Yong-ho (Korean: 리용호; [ɾi.joŋ.ɦo]; born 1956) is a North Korean politician and diplomat, currently serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Korea.
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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; 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.
Career
Ri is a career diplomat, with more than 30 years of service in foreign policy. Proficient in English, he is described as "a skilled negotiator". Ri has particularly lot of experience in negotiating with the U.S. on the issue of the North Korean nuclear program.
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. Later, in the 2000s, he would hold the title of ambassador in Western European countries, including the ambassador to the United Kingdom between 2003 and 2007.
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. He took part in direct negotiations with the U.S. in the 1990s, and was North Korea's leading representative at the Six-party talks from 2011. Ri's team negotiated the "Leap day agreement" during the Six-party talks. In October 2000, he was ambassador-at-large accompanying Jo Myong-rok to negotiations in Washington. In 2011, Ri met with South Korean negotiators in Bali to broker a deal on continuing nuclear disarmament talks.
Ri is currently the Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Korea, sine 9 May 2016. Ri had served as the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs from 23 September 2010, part of it under his predecessor, Ri Su-yong.
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, and an alternate member of its Politburo. 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.