Analysis: Absence of key North Korean negotiator at Russia summit offers glimmer of hope
Russian President Vladimir Putin toasts with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after their talks in Vladivostok, Russia, Thursday, April 25, 2019. By Simon Denyer Simon Denyer Tokyo bureau chief covering Japan, North Korea and South Korea. Email Bio Follow April 25 at 10:18 AM SEOUL — When North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok on Thursday, one man was conspicuous by his absence.
But South Korea’s National Intelligence Service believes that Kim Yong Chol has been removed from his post as head of the United Front Department, a ruling-party body in charge of ties with South Korea, Yonhap news agency reported, citing a lawmaker. Michael Madden, an expert on North Korea’s leadership at the Stimson Center, said several inaccurate intelligence reports and rumors have surfaced about Kim Yong Chol’s status going back to the fall of 2018, and he noted the latest report has not been corroborated.
Kim Yong Chol had a reputation as a fearsomely hard person to deal with, and various media reports have suggested that Pompeo would have preferred to sit across from the more personable and English-speaking foreign minister, Ri Yong Ho.
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