Kang Sok-ju, 71, North Korea’s first vice foreign minister, has been promoted as vice premier of the communist country’s Cabinet.
Kim Gye-gwan, 72, a vice foreign minister the North’s chief nuclear negotiator, has succeeded Kang, the (North) Korean Central News Agency reported Thursday in a set of promotions of three key foreign ministry officials.
Ri Yong-ho, also deputy chief of the nuclear negotiations with the United States, has been elevated to vice foreign minister.
The promotions were announced as North Korea prepares for a conference of Rodong (Workers') Party delegates next week, the first in 44 years, believed to be linked to the ongoing power transfer from top leader Kim Jong-il to his youngest son, Jong-un.
As the former chief nuclear envoy for the communist state, Kang negotiated the 1994 Geneva Agreed Framework between Pyongyang and Washington, which called for freezing of North Korea's nuclear facilities in exchange for internationally financed light-water reactors.
Kang had been the first vice foreign minister for 24 years after being appointed to the post at the age of 47.
Kim was the chief North Korean representative to the six-nation nuclear talks when the participants agreed to joint statements on Sept. 19, 2005, and again in February and October 2007. Under these agreements, North Korea pledged to demolish its nuclear weapons and dismantle its nuclear facilities in return for financial aid from the dialogue partners -- South Korea, the U.S., China, Russia and Japan -- plus diplomatic recognition.
Ri has been a core member of North Korean delegates in dealing with the U.S. on issues such as nuclear weapons, disarmament, human rights and missiles. Starting in 2003, Ri served as North Korea's ambassador to Britain, Belgium, Luxembourg and then Ireland before returning to the foreign ministry in 2007 and becoming the deputy nuclear negotiator.