Syria appointed a new ambassador to North Korea this month, a statement by the Syrian Council of Ministers shows, a move that one expert says hints at a partial reopening of the DPRK border in the near future.

Qusay Thabet Mustafa is the new ambassador to Pyongyang after Syrian President Bashar Assad swore him in, Syria announced earlier this month. Damascus did not disclose when the new ambassador would start his posting. 

“The appointment seems like a sign that limited reopening is in the offing,” DPRK economy expert and NK Pro contributor Peter Ward told NK News. “Limited like