North Korea’s former point man on inter-Korean affairs now appears to be serving as the head of a ceremonial minor party, hinting at a shift in these unification-focused parties following Pyongyang’s renunciation of inter-Korean ties.

In a report about Sunday’s parliamentary election, the ruling party-run newspaper on Monday identified Ri Son Gwon as the current chairperson of the Korean Social Democratic Party (KSDP).

State media did not indicate whether this is the same Ri Son Gwon who earned a reputation for his acerbic styleas North Korea’s foreign minister and head of the ruling party’s United Front Department (UFD),