N. KOREA APPOINTS NEW FOREIGN MINISTER

[Anchor Lead]

North Korea has appointed former chair of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea Ri Son-gwon as the new foreign minister. It's very unusual for the regime to place not a diplomat but a former military man in charge of foreign affairs.

[Pkg]

North Korea has recently notified foreign embassies in Pyongyang that Ri Son-gwon has been appointed as the new foreign minister. His appointment is unusual as he is not a traditional diplomat. Until now, North Korea's foreign ministry had been led by Ri Yong-ho, a known authority in U.S. affairs and diplomatic strategist. Ri Son-gwon was a member of the foreign affairs committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, but he comes from a military background. This is an unconventional appointment in that he is an expert on South Korean affairs, having served as North Korea's chief delegate at inter-Korean military talks and the chair of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea, a propaganda agency targeting South Korea. Ri is a well-known hardliner who sparked controversy over disrespectful remarks to South Korean business leaders who were in Pyongyang for the inter-Korean summit in September 2018.His appointment seems to be a message from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un who had declared a long standoff with the U.S. and head-on approach to sanctions. North Korea also replaced the ruling party's vice chairman and international affairs chief Ri Su-yong with Kim Hyong-jun, who used to be in charge of Middle Eastern and Russian affairs.

[Soundbite] PROF. LIM EUL-CHUL(KYUNGNAM UNIV.) : "It's a message that says North Korea will maintain its position of not negotiating until they withdraw anti-North Korean policies and continue its hard-line policies while pressuring the U.S. to change its policy toward the North."

North Korea is likely to officially change the foreign ministry leadership during the upcoming mission chiefs' meeting in Pyongyang. A new figure will soon be appointed to Ri's former position as head of North Korea's organization for South Korea affairs.