Vienna: North Korea's new ambassador to Austria has officially taken up his post after presenting his credentials to Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, as reported by Pyongyang's state media on Monday. Kyong Hak-min conveyed "warm greetings" from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to the Austrian president during the ceremony last Wednesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Van der Bellen expressed his hope that "everything would go well in the DPRK in the future and the relations between the two countries would develop." The report included the use of the acronym for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The North Korean foreign ministry announced last month that Kyong had been appointed ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Austria. He is understood to have taken over from Choe Kang-il.
As of June, North Korea has maintained 43 overseas diplomatic missions worldwide, based on data from South Korea's foreign ministry. In Europe, North Korea operates a total of 15 diplomatic missions, which include resident embassies in Austria, Germany, Russia, Britain, Switzerland, and Italy, along with one consulate and two representative offices.