Ri Ul-sol (리을설; 14 September 19217 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 Kim Jong-il (; ; ; born Yuri Irsenovich Kim;, 16 February 1941 – 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician who was the second supreme leader of North Korea from 1994 to 2011. He led North Korea from the 1994 death of his father Kim ...

, achieving the rank of

Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated o ...

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.

Early life and education

Ri Ul-sol was born in 1921 in Chongjin,

North Hamgyong Province North Hamgyong Province (Hamgyŏngbukdo, ) is the northernmost province of North Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Hamgyong Province. Geography The province is bordered by China (Jilin) on the north, S ...

. He may have been trained at the Okeanskaya Field School in Vladivostok or in the RKKA Military Academy in

Khabarovsk Khabarovsk ( rus, Хабaровск, a=Хабаровск.ogg, r=Habárovsk, p=xɐˈbarəfsk) is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative centre of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia,Law #109 located from the China ...

, both in the Soviet Union.

His Military Career

In the late 1930s, Ri was a soldier in Kim Il-sung's United Army, which was a partisan unit. He fought for Korea's independence from Japan alongside Kim Il-sung in World War II. Ri served in the 88th Sniper Brigade with Kim Il-sung,

Kim Chol-man Kim Chol-man (김철만; 2 November 1920 – 3 December 2018) was a North Korean politician and military official. He was a member of several important committees and organizations, including the 6th Central Military Commission, the 6th Politb ...

and other first-generation North Korean politicians. During the outbreak of the Korean War, Ri Ul-sol was responsible for the care of

and

Kim Kyong-hui Kim Kyong-hui (; born 30 May 1946) is the aunt of current North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un. She is the daughter of the founding North Korean leader Kim Il-sung and the sister of the late leader Kim Jong-il. She currently serves as Secretary f ...

, the children of Kim Il-sung. It is said that Ri assumed the position of surrogate father to Kim Jong-il, the future North Korean leader. He was promoted through the North Korean military system, earning the following ranks: 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 Jong-un (; , ; born 8 January 1982) is a North Korean politician who has been Supreme Leader of North Korea since 2011 and the leader of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012. He is a son of Kim Jong-il, who was North Korea's sec ...

, Kim Yong-chun, Hyon Chol-hae, Ri Pyong-chol and Pak Jong-chon). His full title was Marshal of the Korean People's Army. 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. 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. 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.

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. He was also a member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea in November 1970. 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. 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. 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.

Awards

Ri Ul-sol was the recipient of various awards, including the Order of Kim Il-sung,

Hero of Labour The Hero of Socialist Labour (russian: links=no, Герой Социалистического Труда, Geroy Sotsialisticheskogo Truda) was an honorific title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries from 1938 to 1991. It repre ...

and Order of the National Flag (1st class). He was twice awarded the title of the Hero of the DPRK.

Death

Ri Ul-sol died of lung cancer on 7 November 2015. His funeral committee consisted of 169 members, with

as chairman.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ri, Ul-sol 1921 births Workers' Party of Korea politicians North Korean military personnel North Korean military personnel of the Korean War Marshals Korean independence activists Korean revolutionaries People from Chongjin 2015 deaths National Heroes of North Korea People of 88th Separate Rifle Brigade