Who Is Choe Son-Hui ? First Female Foreign Minister of North Korea

Reports have revealed that Choe Son-hui has previously served closely with Kim Jong Un, during nuclear talks with the United States and has also accompanied him to summits with then US President Donald Trump in 2019, due to her fluency and hold over English as a career diplomat. During a question-answer session on the night of the summit, that collapsed without a deal, She had said,"I think the United States has missed a golden opportunity with its rejection of our proposals."

Choe Son-hui will now lead the foreign ministry of North Korea after the promotion from her previous position. This diplomat has now replaced Ri Son Gwon, a former hardline military officer, and foreign minister.  At the meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party’s Central Committee from June 8 - to June 10, 2022, Kim Jong Un reportedly came to the decision of promoting Choe Son-hui a veteran with previous experience in handling US affairs as his new foreign minister.

Born on 10 August 1964 in North Korea, she is an interpreter, aide, researcher, and Foreign Ministry official. One of the few women at such a high rank in North Korea, Choe has connections to the ruling party through her stepfather Choe Yong-rim, a former Premier of the North Korean army, who fought in the anti-Japanese struggle, under Kim Il-sung.

From section chief to deputy director, deputy director-general of the North American department in 2016, and vice-minister in 2018, Choe has progressed through all the ranks and now holds a decade-long experience in the ministry.

Reports have also revealed that ever since the summit in 2019 with Kim and Trump collapsed, the diplomatic relationship between Pyongyang and Washington has been stalled. Kim's government has also refused to respond to the United States' repeated offers to return to negotiations. This news of North Korea appointing Choe Son-hui as its first female foreign minister comes amidst speculations that the country may soon carry out its seventh nuclear test.

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