Date and place of birth
1940, birthplace unknown.
Education
Mangyongdae Revolutionary Primary School; Kim Il-sung University, School of Foreign Languages of Pyongyang (Faculty of French) and probably Moscow University.
Career
2017: Chairman of the Diplomatic Commission of the Supreme People’s Assembly.
From 2016: Full member of the Politburo of the Workers’ Party of Korea, and director of the party’s International Relations Department.
July 2016: Member, Comittee on Economic Affairs. Dismissed from his post in the MOFA. Replaced by Ri Yong Ho
April 2014: Minister of Foreign Affairs
2012: return to North Korea from where he manages foreign investments
December 2001: Accredited ambassador of the DPRK to the Netherlands
August 2001: Accredited ambassador of the DPRK to Liechenstein
2000: Member of the Board of Directors, KOHAS AG (Swiss company)
1988: DPRK ambassador to Switzerland
Late 1980’s: Political advisor at the DPRK Embassy in Geneva, Switzerland. Permanent Representative of the DPRK
September 1980: Director of the PS of Kim Jong-il
1974: Director of the Diplomatic Protocol at the MOFA
1972: Employee, MOFA
Family
Son: Ri Il-hyok (member of the Ponghwa group)
Opinions&analysis on North and South Korean issues 