The US
Senate on Thursday confirmed
North Korea negotiator Stephen Biegun to be the State Department's number two, raising the possibility that the veteran
Republican will become the acting top US diplomat next year.
Biegun, currently on a trip to Asia as tensions mount with North Korea, was easily confirmed as deputy secretary of state, with 90 votes in favor and three senators, all
Democrats, opposed.
Biegun's elevation means he would take over as the acting top US diplomat if
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo leaves to seek a Senate seat, a prospect that political pundits see as increasingly likely.