The chief secretary of Ryanggang Province’s Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) committee was recently replaced in what some view as part of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s efforts to bring “generational change” to key leadership positions in the country.
Ri Sang Won, the former chairman of the provincial committee, was replaced by Kim Yong Hwan in “great haste,” according to Daily NK sources in Ryanggang Province on Dec. 12.
“Provincial committee insiders say that he was replaced because of old age,” one of the sources said.
Ri is now the head of the State Inspection Commission, North Korea’s state prosecutors’ agency.
The replacement follows Kim Jong Un’s announcement of sweeping personnel changes in many areas of the country’s leadership on the second day of a year-end WPK plenary session held from Dec. 28 to Dec. 31.
Born in 1951, Ri Sang Won was a member of the 13th and 14th Supreme People’s Assembly. Ri is one generation younger than former State Inspection Commission Cho Yon Jun, who was born in 1937. Given that Cho and other State Inspection Commission directors such as Kim Kuk-tae (born in 1928) have been part of the country’s older generation, Ri’s move to the central government is likely part of a broader personnel change based on age.
Ri’s successor, Kim Yong Hwan, was previously appointed as the first deputy director of the Central Court in February, 1997, and is currently a member of the WPK’s Inspection Commission, according to the South Korean Ministry of Unification’s North Korea Information Portal.
“Ryanggang Province is on the border with China so smuggling is rampant. Ri, however, never got entangled in any of the smuggling incidents that occurred in the province and even did his part to ensure the Samjiyon construction project went smoothly,” a source told Daily NK.
“Many members of the North Korean leadership thought he was good at his job and many people in Ryanggang Province view him being called to serve the central government in Pyongyang favorably,” he added.
Daily NK sources in Ryanggang Province pointed out, however, that he was likely considered too old for the position of chief secretary of the provincial party committee given he is in his 70s.
“North Korea’s leadership thought that despite his hard work, he was just too old to effectively implement the Supreme Leader [Kim Jong Un]’s vision,” explained the source.
Sources in the province also noted that very little is known about the new provincial party chief secretary, Kim Yong Hwan.
*Translated by Violet Kim
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