North Korea names a sharp-tongued former army officer with little foreign policy experience as its top diplomat, in a possible indication it will take a harder line with Washington in stalled nuclear negotiations.
FILE - In this Jan. 9, 2018, file photo, head of North Korean delegation Ri Son Gwon speaks during a meeting with South Korea at the Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone in Paju, South Korea. North Korea on Friday, Jan. 24, 2020, confirmed that it has named the former senior army officer with little experience in dealings with the United States as its new foreign minister in a possible indication that it’ll take a harder line on Washington in stalled nuclear negotiations.
Ri Son Gwon’s new title as foreign minister was disclosed Friday in a Korean Central News Agency dispatch that said he attended a reception for foreign diplomats in Pyongyang the previous day. South Korean and other outside media outlets have recently reported North Korea informed foreign diplomats in Pyongyang of Ri’s job last week.
In South Korea, he is most known for what were seen as rude remarks to South Korean businessmen visiting Pyongyang in September 2018. While they were eating naengmyeon, Korean traditional cold noodles, Ri asked them: “Are naengmyeon going down your throats?” in apparent dissatisfaction with a lack of progress in efforts to promote inter-Korean economic projects, according to South Korean officials and lawmakers. Many conservatives in South Korea strongly criticized him.
“From now on, it’s difficult to expect meaningful progress in North Korea-U.S. diplomacy,” Cheong said.
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