South Korea replaces point man to North

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - South Korea on Friday changed its point man on North Korea, local media reported.

In a major reshuffle of his cabinet, South Korean President Moon Jae-in named seven new ministers for the second half of his term that also included country's point man on Pyongyang, Yonhap news agency said.

Moon nominated Kim Yeon-chul, 55, as the new Korean unification minister. He will replace Cho Myoung-gyon.

Kim is currently head of the Korea Institute for National Unification.

“Unification minister nominee Kim holds great expertise and knowledge in inter-Korean economic cooperation and the North Korean nuclear issue as one of the few experts in inter-Korean relations with vast experience in both academics and the field,” Yonhap quoted South Korean presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom telling a press briefing on Friday.

The major step by South Korea towards North came amid reports that North Korea was “restoring an ancillary building” of its Dongchang-ri long-range missile launch site which was partially disassembled last year.

On Thursday, a U.S. State Department official told media that Washington aims to denuclearize North Korea by the end of Trump’s first term in January 2021.

Even after failed Hanoi summit, US president's National Security Adviser John Bolton said that Trump was open to holding further talks with North Korean leader.

South Korean Presidency said that Kim was the “right person” to realize the New Korean Peninsula Regime aimed at building a joint community of peace and cooperation by pushing for the speedy implementation of inter-Korean declarations.

Yonhap reported that Moon’s decision to replace his point man on North Korea appears to indicate his “increased emphasis” on inter-Korean relations as he pushes for more active cross-border cooperation to help advance the stalled nuclear talks.