Chasu

{{Short description|Military rank in North Korea}}

{{Infobox military rank

| name = Ch'asu
Vice-Marshal

| image = DPRK-Army-OF-10a.svg

| image_size = 80

| caption = Shoulder boards for the rank of Ch'asu

| image2 =

| image_size2 =

| caption2 =

| image3 =

| image_size3 =

| caption3 =

| country = {{flag|North Korea}}

| service branch = 20px Korean People's Army

| abbreviation =

| rank =

| NATO rank =

| Non-NATO rank =

| formation = 1953

| abolished =

| higher rank = Wonsu

| lower rank = Daejang

| equivalents =

| history =

}}

{{Infobox Korean name

|img=

|width=75px

|hangul=차수

|hanja=次帥

|rr=Chasu

|mr=Ch'asu

|context=north

}}

Ch'asu ({{Korean |hangul = 차수 |hanja = 次帥 }}) is a superior military rank of North 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).Korea newsreview - Volume 25 Page 29 1996 "Korean Heritage Chasu, or embroidery, appears to have begun in the prehistoric era when the human race first started to make clothes."

List of North Korean vice-marshals

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:70%; border:1px #AAAAFF solid"

! colspan=4 align="center"|Vice Marshal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
조선민주주의인민공화국 차수

style="background:#cccccc"

! colspan=2| Vice Marshal

! colspan=1| Date of promotion

! colspan=1| Notes

80px

| Choe Yong-gon
최용건
1900–1976

| 7 February 1953

|

colspan=4| Vice Marshal of the Korean People's Army
조선인민군 차수
style="background:#cccccc"

! colspan=2| Vice Marshal

! colspan=1| Date of promotion

! colspan=1| Notes

80px

|O Jin-u
오진우
1917–1995

|14 April 1985

|Promoted to Marshal of the Korean People's Army on 20 April 1992.

80px

|Ju To-il
주도일
1922–1994

|20 April 1992

|

80px

|Ri Ul-sol
리을설
1921–2015

|20 April 1992

|Promoted to Marshal of the Korean People's Army on 8 October 1995.

80px

|Choe Kwang
최광
1918–1997

|20 April 1992

|Promoted to Marshal of the Korean People's Army on 8 October 1995.

80px

|Choe In-dok
최인덕
1920–2003

|20 April 1992

|

80px

|Paek Hak-rim
백학림
1918–2006

|20 April 1992

|

80px

|Ri Tu-ik
리두익
1921–2002

|20 April 1992

|

80px

|Kim Pong-ryul
김봉률
1917–1995

|20 April 1992

|

80px

|Kim Kwang-jin
김광진
1927–1997

|20 April 1992

|

80px

|Kim Ik-hyon
김익현
1916–2009

|15 April 1994

|

107x107px

|Jo Myong-rok
조명록
1928–2010

|8 October 1995

| Promoted from Air Force

80px

|Ri Ha-il
리하일
1935–2010

|8 October 1995

|

80px

|Kim Yong-chun
김영춘
1936–2018

|8 October 1995

|Promoted to Marshal of the Korean People's Army on 14 April 2016.

89x89px

|Kim Il-chol
김일철
1933–2023

|13 April 1997

|Promoted from People's Navy

80px

|Jon Jae-son
전재선
born 1940

|13 April 1997

|

80px

|Pak Ki-so
박기서
1929–2010

|13 April 1997

|

80px

|Ri Jong-san
리종산
1922–2011

|13 April 1997

|

80px

|Kim Ryong-yon
김룡연
1916–2008

|7 September 1998

|

80px

|Ri Yong-mu
리용무
1925–2022

|7 September 1998

|

80px

|Jang Song-u
장성우
1933–2009

|13 April 2002

|

80px

|Ri Yong-ho
리영호
born 1942

|27 September 2010

|

80px

|Kim Jong-gak
김정각
born 1941

|15 February 2012

|

80px

|Choe Ryong-hae
최룡해
born 1950

|7 April 2012

|

80px

|Hyon Chol-hae
현철해
1934–2022

|7 April 2012

|Promoted to Marshal of the Korean People's Army on 14 April 2016.

80px

|Hyon Yong-chol
현영철
1949–2015

|16 July 2012

|Demoted to Army General in October 2012.

109x109px

|Hwang Pyong-so
황병서
born 1949

|26 April 2014

|

80px

|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.

80px

|Kim Jong-gwan
김정관

|24 February 2021

|Demoted to Army General in June 2021.

80px

|Kwon Yong-jin
권영진

|24 February 2021

|Demoted to Army General by February 2022.

80px

|Ri Yong-gil
리명수
born 1955

|14 April 2022

References

{{reflist}}

{{North Korean marshals}}

{{italictitle}}

Category:Military ranks of North Korea