Who Is North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un's Right-Hand Man?

Kim Yong-chol, à gauche, en charge des questions sud-coréennes, en compagnie de Kim Jong-un et de son épouse Ri Sol-ju, à droite, au moment du départ de la délégation sud-coréenne de Pyongyang, le 6 mars. © Sipa Press

Time: Who Is Kim Yong Chol? Meet Kim Jong Un's Ever-Present Right-Hand Man

He was on both Kim Jong Un’s trips to China. He sat beside the North Korean leader during his meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the DMZ. And he held meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Pyongyang to discuss the stalled U.S.-North Korea summit set for Singapore on June 12.

But who is the balding man with the hangdog expression, who now appears to be the most influential North Korean outside the Kim clan?

Meet General Kim Yong Chol — no relation to the namesake Supreme Leader — who is officially vice-chairman of the central committee of North Korea’s all-powerful Workers’ Party. But in reality, as former head of the General Reconnaissance Bureau intelligence agency, he is the Stalinist regime’s spy chief and a key strategist. If the U.S. and North Korea are to reach a deal over denuclearization, Kim Yong Chol will have a major part to play.

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WNU Editor: North Korean Workers’ Party Central Committee vice chairman Kim Yong-chol has always played a key role in North Korean politics .... and definitely under the current leadership of Kim Jong-un. He is also the country's intelligence chief, and the person that I can only presume is ultimately responsible for the safety of Kim Jong-un and his family. The above picture summarizes who Kim Jong-un is close to ..... his wife, sister, and Kim Yong Chol. And while he is viewed by many in South Korea as a war criminal, the South Koreans are also acknowledging the key role that he is playing in the current round of peace talks .... “Kim Yong-chol/Pompeo line” a key role as a channel for discussions for upcoming summit (Hankyoreh).