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North Korean State Affairs Commission Chief Secretary Kim Chang-son (third from left)

The officials who accompanied North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to his historic meeting at Panmunjom with the leaders of South Korea and the US may offer insights into North Korea’s policy direction and the outcome of internal house cleaning that followed the North Korea-US summit in Hanoi this past February.

In relation to North Korea’s crucial diplomatic lineup, Kim was accompanied by Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho, First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, and Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) International Department First Vice Director Kim Song-nam at Panmunjom on June 30. There was no sign of WPK Central Committee Vice Chairman Kim Yong-chol, who has served as a proxy for Kim in summits with South Korea and with the US. Nor was it confirmed whether Ri Su-yong, the WPK vice chairman responsible for foreign affairs, had accompanied Kim. This hints at the possibility that Ri Yong-ho and Choe Son-hui will replace Kim Yong-chol as the key players in North Korea’s negotiations with the US.

Also standing next to Kim Jong-un was Kim Yo-jong, first vice director of the WPK Central Committee. Kim Yo-jong, Kim Jong-un’s only direct family member among North Korean leadership and his de facto chief of staff, has been widely regarded as gaining even more power recently. WPK Organization and Guidance Department First Vice Director Jo Yong-won, who is considered one of Kim’s closest aides, also remained next to Kim throughout the meeting in Panmunjom.

By Lee Je-hun, senior staff writer

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