N. Korea summons ambassadors to Pyongyang: reports
Local media on Thursday said that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un summoned his ambassadors and heads of overseas missions back to Pyongyang, amid a shift in the atmosphere surrounding Kim’s diplomacy.
Earlier in the day, the South’s media outlets reported that the heads of the North’s embassies and other missions were called in for what is “presumed to be an ambassadorial meeting,” citing unnamed sources.
South Korea’s Ministry of Unification said it has yet to confirm the matter, but added it is also closely observing relevant developments. It said it believes it is an annual event despite the lack of reports released by North Korea after the 43rd ambassadorial meeting held on July 15, 2015.
If confirmed, this year’s meeting is expected to serve as a platform for Kim to unveil his plans surrounding North Korea’s “new diplomacy,” as Pyongyang is working toward breaking out of its diplomatic isolation.
North Korea is now in the process of negotiating with the US on dismantling its nuclear program.
“Kim Jong-un is likely to stress the meaning of North Korea’s changing foreign policy strategy in line with the significance of the 70th anniversary of the regime on Sept. 9,” said Shin Beom-chul, a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.
“He will deliver core information regarding his plan on nuclear negotiations with the US and ask the ambassadors to implement their roles in the plan while they’re stationed in different countries.”
Kim signaled a shift in his foreign policy earlier this year through a series of meetings with global leaders. He made his diplomatic debut through a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in March, followed by an inter-Korean summit in April and a meeting with US President Donald Trump in June.
With Kim abandoning his Byungjin policy -- the simultaneous pursuit of economic development and nuclear weapons capability -- and vowing to focus on fostering the North’s impoverished economy since March, he seems to be seeking the lifting of international sanctions imposed on Pyongyang through diplomacy, according to experts.
The roster of North Korean ambassadors attending this year’s meeting is yet unknown.
In 2017, North Korean ambassadors to the United Nations, China and Russia were among those Kim summoned to a meeting in Pyongyang, Yonhap News Agency reported at the time. It came as tensions on the Korean Peninsula had escalated to one of the highest levels, following the North Korea’s ballistic missile tests.
Kim has also used the ambassadorial meeting to consolidate his domestic power. It is believed that the aim of the 2015 meeting was to maintain his influence over the diplomats, as signs of those questioning Kim’s cruel and ruthless policies had been spotted. Kim Pyong-il, Kim Jong-un’s uncle and incumbent North Korean ambassador to the Czech Republic, was also summoned.
As Kim Pyong-il is former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s half brother, critics say Kim Jong-un has been weakening his uncle’s influence as another member of the “Baekdu blood line” within the regime, to avoid a power struggle.
(mkjung@heraldcorp.com)
(责任编辑:资讯)
- 21 Lost and Lonely Cemeteries
- Please enjoy these dogs singing along to the ‘Law & Order’ theme song
- Police call BS on Egg the stolen pug story and the internet is in shambles
- Tattoo artist beautifully explains why women cover their mastectomy scars
- 10 Big Misconceptions About Computer Hardware
- 17 Spectacular Outdoor Staircases
- A World Cup that defied all expectations
- Ohio will close all its bars and restaurants to slow down coronavirus
- 仙品荔红了又红,好日子甜了更甜
- 2016's $400 GPU vs. 2019's $400 GPUs
- Twitter is testing a morning news brief to help you 'catch up' on tweets
- 确保强农惠农专项清理检查工作见实效
- 荥经县:“五大产业”助农增收
-
优化广东优质农产品产销资源对接!“农友圈”又有新动作_南方+_南方plus2023年10月,广东省农业农村厅依托“粤农技”微信小程序建成并运营了农业技术需求精准对接服务公益性平台——“农友圈”。截至7 ...[详细]
-
本报讯 今年以来,为了“让纳税人少跑路、快办事、早知情、多受益、受尊重”,雨城区国税局积极开展“五个一”体验活动,并借助网络技术,创新纳税服务形式,开展了一系列方便快捷的纳税服务。该局积极组织“五个一 ...[详细]
-
GPU Availability and Pricing Update: April 2022
It's time for our monthly graphics card pricing update and in overly positive news, the trend toward ...[详细] -
Argentina win incredible World Cup final on penalties
Argentina won their third World Cup in extraordinary style on Sunday, beating France 4-2 in a penalt ...[详细] -
I got a chance to play around with the Pixel 9 Pro XL, and man, it looks like we have to completely ...[详细]
-
Australians are poking fun at how Tom Hanks eats his quarantine Vegemite
Last week, America's honorary uncle Tom Hanks announced he and his wife Rita Wilson had tested posit ...[详细] -
This Dec. 19, 2022 file photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, shows t ...[详细]
-
After President Park Geun-hye’s mea culpa Friday, eyes are fixed on the upcoming rally in Seoul on S ...[详细]
-
全国土壤普查办抽验组到广东开展土壤普查质量抽验_南方+_南方plus8月17-19日,全国土壤普查办质量抽验组到广东开展第三次全国土壤普查质量抽验工作,抽验组由生态环境部华南环境科学研究所副所长刘晓文 ...[详细]
-
Maguire had a ‘really good’ World Cup: Ten Hag
MANCHESTER:Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said centre back Harry Maguire had a really good F ...[详细]
50 Years Later: The Revolutionary 8008 Microprocessor
S. Korea to craft plan to develop new guided missile capable of striking NK artillery
- 共同推动雅安职工思想政治引领数智化发展工作做深做实
- What the coronavirus has done to the porn industry — so far
- New Spain coach De La Fuente defends appointment
- What the coronavirus has done to the porn industry — so far
- Pakistan to host South Africa before ICC Women’s T20 World Cup
- Moroccans hail team’s heroic run
- Instead of a suitcase just put everything in this jacket