Contents

Chasu

Military rank in North Korea

Ch'asu Vice-Marshal
Shoulder boards for the rank of Ch'asu
Country	North Korea
Service branch	Korean People's Army
Formation	1953
Next higher rank	Wonsu
Next lower rank	Daejang

Ch'asu (Korean: 차수; Hanja: 次帥) is a superior military rankofNorth Korea, often translated as Vice Marshal. The rank is senior to that of Daejang (General) and junior to that of Wonsu (Marshal). The rank is seldom bestowed upon the professional military, and appears to be rather a combined political-military position.

The insignia for a chasu is superimposing a North Korean national crest upon a marshal's insignia star in the shoulder epaulette. Formerly, insignia for such rank holders was the emblem of North Korea until the present insignia was released in 1985.

The rank is often transliterated as ch'asu, showing the difference with the Korean word for embroidery, usually transliterated as chasu (자수).^[1]

List of North Korean vice-marshals[edit]

Vice Marshal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea 조선민주주의인민공화국 차수
Vice Marshal		Date of promotion	Notes
	Choe Yong-gon 최용건 1900–1976	7 February 1953
Vice Marshal of the Korean People's Army 조선인민군 차수
Vice Marshal		Date of promotion	Notes
	O Jin-u 오진우 1917–1995	14 April 1985	Promoted to Marshal of the Korean People's Army on 20 April 1992.
	Ju To-il 주도일 1922–1994	20 April 1992
	Ri Ul-sol 리을설 1921–2015	20 April 1992	Promoted to Marshal of the Korean People's Army on 8 October 1995.
	Choe Kwang 최광 1918–1997	20 April 1992	Promoted to Marshal of the Korean People's Army on 8 October 1995.
	Choe In-dok 최인덕 1920–2003	20 April 1992
	Paek Hak-rim 백학림 1918–2006	20 April 1992
	Ri Tu-ik 리두익 1921–2002	20 April 1992
	Kim Pong-ryul 김봉률 1917–1995	20 April 1992
	Kim Kwang-jin 김광진 1927–1997	20 April 1992
	Kim Ik-hyon 김익현 1916–2009	15 April 1994
	Jo Myong-rok 조명록 1928–2010	8 October 1995	Promoted from Air Force
	Ri Ha-il 리하일 1935–2010	8 October 1995
	Kim Yong-chun 김영춘 1936–2018	8 October 1995	Promoted to Marshal of the Korean People's Army on 14 April 2016.
	Kim Il-chol 김일철 1933–2023	13 April 1997	Promoted from People's Navy
	Jon Jae-son 전재선 born 1940	13 April 1997
	Pak Ki-so 박기서 1929–2010	13 April 1997
	Ri Jong-san 리종산 1922–2011	13 April 1997
	Kim Ryong-yon 김룡연 1916–2008	7 September 1998
	Ri Yong-mu 리용무 1925–2022	7 September 1998
	Jang Song-u 장성우 1933–2009	13 April 2002
	Ri Yong-ho 리영호 born 1942	27 September 2010
	Kim Jong-gak 김정각 born 1941	15 February 2012
	Choe Ryong-hae 최룡해 born 1950	7 April 2012
	Hyon Chol-hae 현철해 1934–2022	7 April 2012	Promoted to Marshal of the Korean People's Army on 14 April 2016.
	Hyon Yong-chol 현영철 1949–2015	16 July 2012	Demoted to Army General in October 2012.
	Hwang Pyong-so 황병서 born 1949	26 April 2014
	Ri Myong-su 리명수 born 1934	14 April 2016
	Pak Jong-chon 박정천	23 May 2020	Promoted to Marshal of the Korean People's Army on 5 October 2020. Since demoted back to Chasu and repromoted back to Wonsu.
	Kim Jong-gwan 김정관	24 February 2021	Demoted to Army General in June 2021.
	Kwon Yong-jin 권영진	24 February 2021	Demoted to Army General by February 2022.
	Ri Yong-gil 리명수 born 1955	14 April 2022

References[edit]