Kim Jae-ryong

For the South Korean long-distance runner, see Kim Jae-ryong (athlete).
In this Korean name, the family name is Kim.
Kim Jae-ryong
김재룡
Director of the Organization and Guidance Department
Incumbent
Assumed office
13 August 2020
Supreme LeaderKim Jong Un
Preceded byRi Man-gon
12th Premier of North Korea
In office
11 April 2019 – 13 August 2020
PresidentKim Jong Un
Preceded byPak Pong-ju
Succeeded byKim Tok-hun
Chairman of the
WPK Chagang Provincial Committee
In office
2016–2019
Preceded by?
Succeeded byKang Bong-hun
Personal details
Born1959 (age 65–66)
Chagang Province, North Korea
Political partyWorkers' Party of Korea

Kim Jae-ryong (Korean: 김재룡, born 1959) is a North Korean technocrat and politician who served as Premier of North Korea from April 2019 to August 2020.[1] A senior official within the Workers' Party of Korea, he has served as the director of the Organization and Guidance Department since 2020 and as a deputy to the Supreme People's Assembly.

Career

Relatively little is known about Kim's early career.[2] Before his premiership, he held positions in political guidance at various industrial sites. Around 2007, he was appointed to his first important position as the secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) North Pyongan Province provincial committee. He was appointed acting secretary of the WPK Chagang provincial committee in 2015 and from 2016 to 2019 he was officially the provincial party secretary, when he was replaced by Kang Bong-hun in that position. Kim became a member of the WPK Central Committee in 2016.[3]

He is also believed at one point to have held a post within the Workers' Party of Korea that oversaw Sinuiju and the free economic zone area of the city.

Premiership

On 10 March 2019, Kim was elected to the Supreme People's Assembly in the parliamentary election. Less than a month later, during the first session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly, Kim was appointed premier, replacing Pak Pong-ju.[4] He was also elected to be a member of the Politburo and the Central Military Commission.[5]

Kim as premier has also conducted multiple site inspections around the country from agricultural sites, factories and even to an apartment project in the capitol of Pyongyang.[6][7]

Kim was relieved of his position as premier on 13 August 2020 and replaced by Kim Tok-hun.[8][9]

Post-premiership

Following his dismissal as premier, Kim was appointed to lead the Organization and Guidance Department,[10] and he was in charge of preparations for the 8th Party Congress, after which he maintained his seat in the Politburo.[11] Previous claims that he had been appointed to a new body called the Organization Administrative Department[12] appeared inconsistent with later reports indicating that another official was in charge of the newly created department handling judicial affairs.[13]

In June 2023, at the Eighth Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee, he was removed from his posts as member of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the Central Committee [14]

In August 2023, he was reinstated as member of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee and secretary of the Central Committee.[15]

Member of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea.[16]

References

  1. ^ 김재룡(남성). 북한정보포털 (in Korean). 통일부. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  2. ^ Song Jung-a (12 April 2019). "North Korea reshuffles leadership as Kim Jong Un shores up power". Financial Times. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  3. ^ "Kim Jae Ryong". North Korea Leadership Watch. 28 February 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  4. ^ "N.K. leader re-elected as chairman of State Affairs Commission". Yonhap. 12 April 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  5. ^ "Press Release on 4th Plenary Meeting of 7th Central Committee of WPK". Korean Central News Agency. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  6. ^ "Kim Jae Ryong Makes Inspection of Agricultural Field in North Hwanghae Province". 2 June 2020.
  7. ^ "North Korea to "massively" deploy resources for Pyongyang housing projects: KCNA | NK News". 9 March 2020.
  8. ^ N.K. leader warns against accepting outside assistance over flood damage due to virus risk
  9. ^ New Premier of DPRK Cabinet Appointed
  10. ^ "KJU Attends 20th PB Meeting of the 7th Central Committee". North Korea Leadership Watch. 16 November 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  11. ^ "22nd Political Bureau Pregames 8th Party Congress". North Korea Leadership Watch. 30 December 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  12. ^ "Kim Jae Ryong appointed head of new "Organization Administrative Department"". Daily NK. 3 September 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  13. ^ "Mystery man: Kim Hyong Sik's rise to head of the DPRK's new judicial department". NK News. 8 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  14. ^ 关于朝鲜劳动党第八届中央委员会第八次全体会议扩大会议的报道 — 朝鲜中央通讯社，2023年6月19日
  15. ^ 敬爱的金正恩同志视察江原道安边郡梧溪农场和月浪农场 — 朝鲜中央通讯社，2023年8月18日
  16. ^ 북 김정은, 최고인민회의 대의원 처음 빠져 — 统一新闻, 2019年3月13日
Political offices
Preceded by Premier of North Korea
2019–2020 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Director of the Organization and Guidance Department
2020–present 		Incumbent