High-ranking DPRK official Hwang Pyong So, widely believed to have suffered a demotion in 2016, appears to have been promoted once again, according to the updated edition of the annual reference book on the North Korean elite published this week by the Ministry of Unification (MOU).

The 2019 editions of the reference books “Information on important people in North Korea” and “List of North Korean cadres sorted by department” were released by the MOU on December 27, compiled using original documents it obtained in addition to DPRK media reports.

Hwang was previously revealed in the North Korean press to have