North Korean female vice minister elected directly to the Party Central Committee
Choe Son Hui, one of Pyongyang's top negotiators with the US, has just been appointed a core member of the Workers' Party of Korea.
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| North Korean Vice Minister Choe Son Hui. |
According to South Korean news agency Yonhap News, the "direct appointment" means that Ms. Choe has become a member of the Central Committee without having to be an "alternate member" first.
Choe Son Hui is a key North Korean official in nuclear negotiations with the US. After the US-North Korea summit in Hanoi in late February failed to reach an agreement, she warned that Pyongyang could walk away from the dialogue and would not give in to Washington's "gangster-like" demands.
Also in the April 10 meeting, the position of Mr. Kim Yong Chol - North Korea's senior negotiator with the US - was determined to remain the same because he was seen in a group of officials attending the Politburo meeting chaired by Chairman Kim Jong-un on April 9.
The above developments suggest that North Korean leaders may not intend to change the nuclear negotiation team or the negotiation approach.
Previously, there was speculation that Mr. Kim Yong Chol could be disciplined after the conference in Hanoi did not achieve the desired results.
