Ri died due to injuries sustained in a car crash; there were different theories about the cause, including speculation that it may have been foul play. In particular, Andrei Lankov of Kookmin University called the death suspicious, pointing to the lack of traffic in North Korea, and described the death as "part of a long tradition" of politicians being killed in mysterious traffic incidents. In contrast, North Korea analyst Lee Sang-hyun of the Sejong Institute suspected a more innocent explanation, that Ri may have been driving under the influence of alcohol after returning from a party held by Kim Jong-il, and found himself unable to control his vehicle on poorly lit and poorly maintained roads.
