North Korea appears to have appointed a new head of its foreign ministry's North American affairs department, according to the Russian mission in Pyongyang on Wednesday, as the North is set to resume denuclearization talks with the United States this weekend.
Jo Chol-su's appointment was made known in a Facebook post by the Russian embassy as it reported Jo's meeting with Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora, where Jo was referred to as the "Director-General of the North American Department" and "President of the Institute of American Studies" under the North's foreign ministry.
Jo Chul-su (middle). Yonhap
It was not clear when he was appointed.
During the meeting, Matsegora congratulated Jo "on his appointment to a high and extremely responsible position" and the two sides exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the Russian embassy said.
Jo's promotion came as Pyongyang is gearing up to resume nuclear talks with Washington after the no-deal Hanoi summit in February.
On Tuesday, the North's First Vice Foreign Minister, Choe Son-hui, said Pyongyang and Washington agreed to resume talks on Saturday following "preliminary contact" the previous day.
Jo's predecessor, Kwon Jong-gun, has not appeared in the North Korean media since issuing a statement slamming South Korea's joint military exercise with the US in mid-August.
It is not clear when Kwon left the position. He was introduced as the head of the department in another Facebook post by the Russian Embassy in February and was confirmed to be holding the job two months later when he issued a statement denouncing US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. (Yonhap)
