Analysts said the reversal of fortunes for Mr Choe is the latest in a series of reinstatements, and indicates the young leader may be taking a softer line after earning a reputation for ruthlessness with the elimination of high-ranking officials, including his uncle.
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“But given the magnitude of his experience, its capacity will inevitably shrink”, said Lim Eul-chul, a professor of North Korean studies at Kyungnam University.
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Kim Yang-Gon was the only North Korean official present at their meeting in Pyongyang.
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The reversals of fortune, along with two similar cases earlier this year, have prompted suggestions the leader may be rolling back a purge.
The state news agency called him Kim Jong-un’s “closest comrade and a solid revolutionary partner”.
His departure was a “great loss” to the party as well as the individuals, KCNA said, commending him for his “admirable devotion and competence”.
South Korean Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo sent condolences Wednesday, according to Hong’s ministry.
In 1976, an official said to rival to then-president Kim Il Sung died in a vehicle crash.
Kim Yang-gon’s role in charge of the unit handling inter-Korean ties saw him move closer to leader Kim Jong-un in recent months. In 1986 he became a deputy director in the International Affairs Department of the Workers’ Party of Korea and a member of the Chosun Diplomatic Association (a.k.a. Korea Foreign Affairs Association).
The two sides also vowed to make efforts to promote inter-Korean civilian exchanges.
North Korean spy chief Kim Yang Gon gets in a vehicle upon his arrival at the transit office near the truce village of Panmunjom in the demilitarized zone that separates the two Koreas in Paju, north of Seoul, in this file picture taken November 29, 2007. “Minor things could have a negative impact on the big picture”.
“With regard to South Korean policy, Kim Yang Gon had a very good social network and was a good interlocutor for the North with the South”, Madden said.
Despite the gloomy conditions, the Park administration should work to foster an upbeat atmosphere and revive the momentum for the next round of dialogue or possibly a summit, analysts say. Similar speculation arose in past years following reported traffic deaths of high-level North Korean officials.
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Bruce Klingner, a North Korea expert at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, told the Journal that Kim Yang Gon may have been punished for the fruitless talks between the warring neighbors, after they failed to reach an agreement in August.
