North Korea's Top Diplomats Ri Su-yong and Ri Yong-ho Abruptly Replaced
Hardline Military Veteran Ri Son-gwon Appointed New Foreign Minister
"Suspending Talks with US... Attempting to Strengthen Nuclear Status"
The new Foreign Minister overseeing North Korea's diplomatic strategy is reported to have been replaced from Ri Yong-ho to Ri Son-gwon, Chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland (CPRF). It is said that North Korea notified foreign embassies stationed in North Korea of this change late last week. The photo shows North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un and Ri Son-gwon posing for a commemorative photo at the inter-Korean summit held at Panmunjom on April 17, 2018. This year, North Korea, which adopted a 'direct breakthrough' policy, has significantly reshuffled its diplomatic lineup. The Foreign Minister overseeing North Korea's diplomatic strategy has reportedly been replaced from Ri Yong-ho to Ri Son-gwon, chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland (CPRF). Last year, North Korea set the 'end of the year' as the deadline for negotiations with the United States, but no progress was made. It is expected that the U.S. line will be reprimanded and that North Korea will move toward a hardline stance against the U.S.
On the 18th, NK News, a U.S.-based North Korea specialist media outlet, reported citing sources in Pyongyang that Foreign Minister Ri had been ousted and his successor is Ri Son-gwon. It is also reported that North Korea notified foreign embassies stationed in North Korea of this development late last week.
Ri Son-gwon, a former military officer who also served as the head of inter-Korean military working-level talks, has led the CPRF, North Korea's agency for inter-Korean affairs, and has been active in the inter-Korean field, including serving as the North Korean head of high-level inter-Korean talks.
Except for inter-Korean relations, Ri Son-gwon's career related to overall diplomatic affairs is not known. Therefore, the news of his appointment as Foreign Minister has caused considerable waves.
He is also known for having made controversial remarks, such as reportedly scolding business leaders who visited Pyongyang during the September 2018 inter-Korean summit by asking, "Can you swallow cold noodles?"
Ri Son-gwon's appointment as Foreign Minister is analyzed to indicate North Korea's hardline stance toward the U.S.
Jung Sung-jang, head of research planning at the Sejong Institute, interpreted, "If it is true that Ri Son-gwon, who has no experience negotiating with the U.S. and is basically an expert in inter-Korean military talks, was appointed as Foreign Minister, this reflects Kim Jong-un's position to halt denuclearization talks with the U.S. and to directly confront international sanctions against North Korea." He added, "It will be difficult to expect meaningful progress in North Korea-U.S. dialogue going forward, and North Korea's stance toward the U.S. will become even more hardline."
Furthermore, the appointment of Ri Son-gwon, a former military officer, is also seen as a sign that the military's position will strengthen in North Korea's foreign policy. Jung said, "Ri Son-gwon is neither a traditional diplomatic elite nor a figure who has long represented military interests in the past," and analyzed, "In future North Korean diplomacy, the military's position to strengthen the status of a nuclear-armed state will be more prominently reflected."
Among those reshuffled in North Korea's diplomatic line was Ri Su-yong, an expert on Europe. The position of head of the Party Central Committee's International Department, which he held, was taken over by Kim Hyong-jun, who has experience as ambassador to the Middle East and Russia.
Jung explained, "This reflects Kim Jong-un's 'political and diplomatic offensive' policy to further strengthen relations with traditional friendly countries such as Russia and pro-North Korea countries in the Middle East."
Additionally, it is suggested that the political status and influence of the diplomatic line in North Korea have significantly declined. Ri Son-gwon's name is not on the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee, which consists of about 30 power elites leading North Korea. He has not even been elected as a candidate member. He was also not included in the list of the National Funeral Committee announced on the 18th.
This contrasts with the situation just before the 5th Plenary Meeting of the 7th Party Central Committee at the end of last year, when both the Foreign Minister and the head of the Party Central Committee's International Department were members of the Political Bureau.
Jung explained, "After the 5th Plenary Meeting, the head of the International Department was elected as a candidate member of the Political Bureau, but the new Foreign Minister was not even elected as a candidate member," adding, "The status of diplomatic elites has sharply declined."
On the 2nd, Chosun Central TV aired a new documentary titled "Forever Marching the Baekdu Path." The film highlighted Chairman Kim Jong Un's Baekdu lineage as he ascended Mount Baekdu, urging to overcome difficulties with the fighting spirit inherited from previous generations.
Some interpret Ri Son-gwon's background in inter-Korean affairs as a positive sign for inter-Korean relations. Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, said, "(Ri Son-gwon) is a figure who knows inter-Korean relations and may hold the position of 'countering the U.S. by using the South,' shifting from 'isolating the South to isolating the U.S.' There is a possibility of positive responses to future inter-Korean cooperation projects." He predicted, "It is like appointing a former Minister of Unification as Foreign Minister in South Korea, so the importance of inter-Korean relations will increase."
However, considering the role of the Foreign Minister in North Korea, there is also a counterargument that it is difficult to expect a turnaround in inter-Korean relations solely based on Ri Son-gwon's appointment. Jung said, "The Foreign Minister is responsible for diplomacy with non-socialist countries excluding South Korea," and added, "Even if Ri Son-gwon is appointed as Foreign Minister, there is little room for him to be involved in inter-Korean relations."
Jung also evaluated, "Although Ri Son-gwon served as the North Korean representative at the 2018 high-level inter-Korean talks, the possibility that this will have a positive impact on inter-Korean relations seems very low."
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