North Korea appoints ambassador to Vietnam after 5-year vacancy
Báo Tuổi Trẻ•31/07/2024
On July 30, the North Korean Foreign Ministry announced the appointment of Ri Seung Guk as North Korean ambassador to Vietnam, after 5 years of vacancy.
Ms. Kim Yo Jong accompanied her brother Kim Jong Un to visit the North Korean Embassy in Hanoi in February 2019, on the occasion of Mr. Kim attending the US-North Korea summit and visiting Vietnam - Photo: REUTERS
Yonhap News Agency (South Korea) quoted the announcement on July 30 of the North Korean Foreign Ministry saying that the country's government had appointed Mr. Ri Seung Guk as ambassador to Vietnam. According to South Korean media, Mr. Ri Seung Guk has never been mentioned in Pyongyang's media. The position of North Korean ambassador to Vietnam has been vacant since Ambassador Kim Myeong Gil returned home in April 2019. According to Yonhap, there was much information that Pyongyang would appoint a relatively influential diplomat as the successor to former Ambassador Kim Myeong Gil in Hanoi. However, the position of North Korean ambassador to Vietnam has been vacant for the past 5 years due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The North Korean Foreign Ministry also announced on July 30 the appointment of Mr. Ri Gil Seong as ambassador to Singapore. South Korean observers revealed that Mr. Ri may have been the North Korean deputy foreign minister in charge of Asian affairs. This is the first time in 3 years and 6 months that Pyongyang has appointed an ambassador abroad, since they appointed Mr. Ri Ryong Nam as the North Korean ambassador to China in February 2021. Experts say that North Korea has gradually opened up to neighboring countries since the COVID-19 pandemic. Since August 2023, North Korea has received a number of new ambassadors to work at foreign embassies in Pyongyang, mainly from countries with close relations with North Korea. At the same time, North Korea has begun appointing ambassadors abroad.
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