General O Kuk-ryol, a former air force commander, is sometimes said to be the second most-powerful man in North Korea after Kim Jong-il, whom he has known from his youth.
In his late 70s, he has served as chief of the staff of the Army. He lost out in a dispute with another top general, then bounced back as head of the defense bureau of the Workers’ Party, a post that may make him a key player in the upcoming party conference.