North Korea replaces foreign minister: report

North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho speaks at the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in 2018. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI

By Park Si-soo

North Korea reportedly has replaced foreign minister Ri Yong-ho in a major political reshuffle which, if true, would have a significant impact on the North's diplomatic stance.

NK News, an online news outlet specializing in North Korea, reported the change on Saturday, citing multiple unnamed sources in the reclusive state.

His replacement would be Ri Son-gwon, NK News reported.

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The outlet said the change probably would be confirmed on or before Thursday, when an event for diplomats is scheduled in Pyongyang.

South Korea's unification ministry, which is in charge of North Korea affairs, did not confirm the development, saying any change in Ri's status should be assessed cautiously.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to Reuters.

Ri Yong-ho ― who was born in 1956 and has been the North's foreign minister since 2016 ― did not attend the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations in September. He had attended the high-level meeting in New York for three years from 2016 to 2018.

His absence from a group photo of top ruling party officials in January raised speculation that he might be replaced.

Meanwhile, Yonhap News Agency reported that North Korea's top envoys to China and the United Nations returned to Pyongyang on Saturday. It said this was fueling speculation that North Korea could review its nuclear negotiating strategy with the United States.

Ri Yong-ho is a fluent English speaker who studied at Pyongyang's prestigious University of Foreign Languages, He has for years held high-level posts dealing with the West.

From 2003 to 2007, he was North Korea's ambassador in London and served as vice foreign minister, representing North Korea at now-defunct six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program.