SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -
North Korea on Friday confirmed that Ri Son Gwon, a former defense commander with limited diplomatic experience, has been appointed the country's new foreign affairs minister, while the
United States repeated calls for
Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons.
The official KCNA news agency reported that Ri, the latest military official to be promoted under North Korean leader
Kim Jong Un, gave a speech as minister at a New Year dinner reception hosted by the ministry on Thursday for embassies and international organizations.
A diplomatic source in Seoul told Reuters that North Korea informed countries with embassies in Pyongyang last week that Ri, a former military officer and now a senior official of the ruling Workers' Party, had replaced Ri Yong Ho as Pyongyang's top diplomat.