Choe Ryong-hae

Career Choe's political career began in the 1970s when he worked as a political instructor on behalf of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) at Kim Il Sung University. He was replaced as first secretary of the Youth League by Ri Il-hwan at the 14th plenary meeting of the league's central committee (January 1998), officially "due to his illness". This was actually because routine party audits found he was selling scrap metal to foreign buyers without official permission. He was facing execution but Kim Kyong-hui, only sister of then leader Kim Jong Il, intervened to save his life.

Choe, considered a protégé of Jang Song-thaek, is seen as part of a plan by Kim Jong Un to restore party control over the military after it was overturned by Kim Jong Il and his Military First Policy, particularly after Vice Marshal Ri Yong-ho's dismissal. In fact, Choe does not have a strong military background and seems to support the employment of soldiers to build civilian facilities. The Chosun Ilbo reports that a diplomatic source said Choe is appointing Socialist Youth League members to key military posts and "has assumed control of various businesses run by the military, losing trust and loyalty among the troops." though he wore KPA Vice Marshal insignia at the rally celebrating the successful Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2 launch on 14 December. This would be concurrent with Hyon Yong-chol's demotion to the same rank and Kim Jong-gak's removal as defence minister, and may be a consequence of the army's growing dissatisfaction over Choe's tenure. and became Kim Jong Un's special envoy for strategic partner China.

Choe was appointed the first-ranking vice-chairman of the NDC in April 2014, apparently reinforcing his number two position, but he was replaced by newly appointed Vice Marshal Hwang Pyong-so as chief of the KPA politburo, and was officially demoted from the NDC after only five months, thus ending his involvement in military affairs. North Korea's news agency reported later on that he was party secretary in charge of labor organizations and chairman of the State Physical Culture and Sports Guidance Commission, a post previously held by Jang Song-thaek, and then part of a delegation to South Korea to attend the closing ceremony of the Asian Games. He was also restored to his Presidium position in late October, and finally demoted from it next February, although he remained a high-ranking member of the Politburo. Reports suggested arrogance and bad reputation among the elites as reasons leading to his downgrading. He was, however, reelected as a Presidium member at the 7th Party Congress in May 2016.

In November 2014, Choe brought a letter from Kim Jong Un to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Choe's second son, Choe Song, was reported in January 2015 to have married Kim Jong Un's younger sister, Kim Yo Jong in late 2014.

In 2017, Choe was appointed to the party's Central Military Commission.

In October 2017, he was appointed the director of the Organization and Guidance Department (OGD). Before his appointment, OGD had been long headed either formally or informally by members of the Kim family. His immediate predecessor had been Kim Jong Un.

Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly In April 2019, he became the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly.

In 2020, SPA Presidium held a session presided by Choe, which passed the Law on Rejecting Reactionary Ideology and Culture. The law imposes penalty ranging from forced labor to death for those that want to keep or distribute cultural materials, such as TV programs, books and songs from “hostile countries,” such as South Korea, Japan and the United States.

During the 9th WPK Congress, Choe was excluded from the 9th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. On 22 March 2026, he was succeeded by Jo Yong-won as the SPA Standing Committee Chairman.

Sanctions In December 2018, the United States Department of State and the Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on Choe and two other North Korean officials for suspected human rights abuses and state-sponsored censorship activities.

Personal life Choe reportedly has two sons and one daughter. In 2014, his second son, Choe Song, reportedly married Kim Yo Jong, the sister of Kim Jong Un.

Awards and honors The official portrait of Choe shows Choe wearing all the decorations awarded to him.