The Scotsman

‘Purged’ North Korean diplomat spotted near Kim Jong-un at event

● Official sitting five seats from leader at musical performanc­e

- newsdeskts@scotsman.com

A senior North Korean official who had been reported as being purged over the failed nuclear summit with Washington was shown in state media yesterday enjoying a concert near leader Kim Jong-un.

North Korean publicatio­ns showed Kim Yong Chol sitting five seats away from a clapping Mr Kim in the same row along with other top officials during a musical performanc­e by the wives of Korean People’s Army officers.

A report by Pyongyang’ s official Korean Central News Agency named Kim Yong Chol among the attendees of the event, which it said “impressive­ly represente­d the ideo - logical and mental features of KPA officers’ wives, who make ever y moment of their life honourable with ardent yearning for the leader ”. Kim Yong Chol has been North Korea’s top nuclear negotiator and the counterpar­t of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo since Mr Kim entered nuclear talks with America early last year. He travelled to Washington and met US president Donald Trump twice before Mr Kim’s two summit s with Trump.

Negotiatio­ns between Washington and Pyongyang have been at a standstill since February when the second summit between Mr Trump and Mr Kim broke down over what the US described as excessive Nor th Korean demands for sanctions relief in exchange for only a partial surrender of its nuclear capabiliti­es.

Last week, South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilb o cited an unidentifi­ed source in reporting that Kim Yong Chol had been sentenced to hard labour and ideologica­l re-education over the failed summit in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital.

The newspaper also reported senior envoy KimHyok Chol, who was involved in presummit working-level talks with American officials, was executed with four other officials from the North’s Foreign Ministry for betraying Mr Kim after being won over by the US.

South Korea’ s government and media have a mixed record on tracking develop - ments among Nor th Korea’s ruling elite, made difficult by Pyongyang’s stringent control of informatio­n about them.

Lee Sang-min, spokesman for Seoul’ s unificatio­n ministry that deals with inter- korean affairs, said the ministry would not comment on a “specific internal event in Nor th Korea or its participan­ts” when asked about Kim Yong Chol’s reappearan­ce in public. Seoul’s spy service has said it could not confirm Friday’s report of a possible purge.

Mr Pompeo said the US was “doing our best to check” out the report. The report came at a delicate time for diplo - macy as North Korea in past weeks has tested short-range missiles and issued belligeren­t rhetoric toward American and South Korean officials.

 ??  ?? 0 Kim Jong-un, front row third from left, and senior North Korean official Kim Yong Chol, circled, at a performanc­e by the wives of Korean People’s Army officers
0 Kim Jong-un, front row third from left, and senior North Korean official Kim Yong Chol, circled, at a performanc­e by the wives of Korean People’s Army officers

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