At a height of 235 cm (7 ft 8+1⁄2 in) and a weight of 128 kg (282 lb), he is believed to be the tallest person in North Korea[broken anchor].

Ri played the center position for the national basketball team of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Once proclaimed to be the tallest living human being in the world,[2] he stands 236 cm (7 ft 9 in) tall and once planned to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the 1990s.

"[2] Eventually, Ri said he was content to remain playing basketball in the "bosom" of North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-il.

[3] On 28 December 2011, North Korean television showed footage from the funeral of Kim Jong Il in which an unusually tall person was seen in the crowd.