Identity of mysterious North Korean general who greeted Putin on Victory Day revealed

One of the five senior North Korean military officials who shook hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Moscow’s Victory Day parade in the Red Square in May has been identified as Lt. Gen. Cha Yong-pom, a previously little-known figure from the Ministry of National Defense.

The revelation sheds light on a new key figure in North Korea’s military amid its deepening deployment cooperation with Russia.

Cha greeted Putin during the May 9 parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II, according to multiple military intelligence sources on July 22.

In the live broadcast by Russian media, Cha can be heard stating his rank and name — “Lt. Gen. Cha Yong-pom” — though his heavy accent and near-total absence from North Korean media made it difficult for authorities to confirm his identity at the time.

Putin shook hands with five North Korean generals and the North Korean ambassador to Russia, Sin Hong-chol, in succession. Cha saluted and shook hands third, following Gen. Kim Yong-bok, deputy chief of the General Staff, and Gen. Ri Chang-ho, head of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, according to the sources.

Based on the order of greetings, Cha appears to rank third among the North Korean military delegation present that day. The previously identified “deployment trio” — Kim, Ri and Maj. Gen. Sin Kum-chol, who greeted Putin after Cha — suggesting Cha may hold a higher position.

Military officials believe Cha was recently promoted to lieutenant general. Initial voice analysis and other intelligence led to this assessment.

He is believed to hold the title of “First Vice Minister of Defense and Director of the General Bureau,” a position that oversees North Korea’s military strategy and defense diplomacy.

“One possibility is that he holds a different or lower-ranking post, since Kang Sun-nam, already known as the First Vice Minister of Defense, still appears in North Korean state media,” one source said.

This has raised speculation that Cha’s Defense Ministry role may be a cover for covert missions — possibly involving oversight of munitions logistics such as artillery shells and missiles.

In such a division of roles, Kim and Ri would be responsible for managing special operations forces and tactical command, while Cha would oversee logistic supply chains.

Cha was also spotted in footage from a June 29 performance in Pyongyang celebrating the first anniversary of the North Korea–Russia comprehensive strategic partnership treaty, attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, his daughter Kim Ju-ae and Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova.

In the footage, a North Korean military commander appears to be directing North Korean and Russian personnel in a field setting — a figure whom military analysts have identified as Cha. His prominent placement in the scene may indicate his rising status.

South Korean military authorities believe Cha may be the same officer promoted to major general in a February 2013 reshuffle early in Kim Jong-un’s rule. If so, it would suggest that Cha had remained in that rank for nearly a decade before being promoted amid North Korea’s recent military cooperation with Russia, likely as a reward for his contributions.

BY LEE YU-JUNG, CHUNG YEONG-GYO [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]