Former North Korean Air Force commander Ri Pyong-chol was promoted from deputy director to first deputy director of the Workers' Party of Korea.
 
The North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency on Tuesday described Ri as a first deputy director while announcing that he had accompanied North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during an inspection of the Air Force.
 
The promotion comes only one month after Ri was promoted from Air Force commander to deputy director of the Workers' Party on December 8. 
 
The news agency didn't mention Ri's division within the Workers' Party, but he is assumed to be working in a military-related division as he had accompanied Kim Jong-un on an inspection of a shooting tournament.
 
Ri has been receiving attention as a new influential figure within the Kim Jong-un administration as Kim has been striving to strengthen the Air Force.