Pyongyang - North Korea announced the appointment of new ambassadors to Vietnam and Singapore on Tuesday, filling positions that have been vacant for years due to the country's stringent COVID-19 border closures.
According to the North Korean foreign ministry, Ri Sung-guk has been named the new top envoy to Vietnam, succeeding Kim Myong-gil who returned to North Korea in April 2019, just months before the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Little information is available about Ri Sung-guk, as North Korean state media have yet to report on his background or previous postings. Concurrently, Ri Kil-song has been appointed as ambassador to Singapore, a position he takes over after serving as a vice foreign minister responsible for Asian affairs until 2020. These appointments mark a significant diplomatic move by North Korea, the first such assignments since the appointment of Ri Ryong-nam as ambassador to China in 2021. This development follows North Korea's gradual reopening of its borders, which began in August 2023, allowing envoys from China, Mongolia, and Cuba to commence their duties in Pyongyang.