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New North Korean foreign minister was its nuclear disarmament negotiator

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North Korea has named Ri Yong-ho, a career diplomat with broad experience in negotiating with rivals South Korea and the United States, as its new foreign minister. Photo: AP

North Korea, diplomatically isolated and squeezed by UN sanctions, has appointed as foreign minister its negotiator at failed international talks aimed at getting it to disarm, according to a North Korean diplomatic note to Britain.

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Ri Yong-ho, 59, replaces Ri Su-yong, who has been one of the highest-profile officials of a country whose current leader, Kim Jong-un, has not travelled abroad since taking power following the death of his father in 2011.

Ri Yong-ho, most recently vice foreign minister, represented North Korea at six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear programme, which fell apart after their last round in 2008.

China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States were the other parties to the talks.

Ri, a former ambassador to Britain, is likely to be responsible for making North Korea’s case at the United Nations.

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The UN Security Council in March imposed tough new sanctions against North Korea in response to its fourth nuclear test in January and the launch of a long-range rocket the next month.

North Korea’s former nuclear negotiator Ri Yong-ho (left). Photo: AP
North Korea’s former nuclear negotiator Ri Yong-ho (left). Photo: AP
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