North Korea signals US policy shift with new pick for foreign minister: Biegun | NK News
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North Korea signals US policy shift with new pick for foreign minister: Biegun

Choe Son Hui’s new role indicates DPRK could choose to engage Washington or Seoul but not both, former US official says
Chad O'Carroll | Jeongmin Kim June 11, 2022
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North Korea signals US policy shift with new pick for foreign minister: Biegun
North Korea’s Choe Son Hui holds talks with U.S. diplomat Sung Kim in Singapore ahead of the Kim-Trump summit in June 2018 | Image: U.S. Department of State

North Korea’s appointment of longtime diplomat Choe Son Hui as foreign minister could signal a break in Pyongyang’s policies toward the U.S. and South Korea, a former top U.S. official told NK News on Saturday.

Stephen Biegun, deputy secretary of state and special representative for North Korea under U.S. President Trump, said the selection of Choe to replace Ri Son Gwon — who will now oversee inter-Korean affairs — likely concludes Pyongyang’s short-lived approach of engaging the two allies at the same time.

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About the Authors

Chad O'Carroll

Chad O'Carroll

Chad O'Carroll is the founder of NK News/NK Pro and related holding company Korea Risk Group. In addition to being the group's CEO, O'Carroll is a frequent writer and commentator about the Koreas, having written about the two nations since 2010. He has visited the DPRK multiple times, worked and lived in Washington, D.C. with a focus on peninsula issues, and lived in the ROK since 2016.

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Jeongmin Kim

Jeongmin Kim

Jeongmin Kim is Executive Director at Korea Risk Group, based in Seoul. She covers inter-Korean relations and North and South Korean foreign and military affairs. Kim has covered the 2022 ROK presidential election on the ground, and prior to joining NK News, she worked for the CSIS Korea Chair in Washington D.C. and Reuters news agency’s Seoul bureau.

View more articles by Jeongmin KimEMAILTwitterGot a news tip?Let us know!
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