U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Joseph Yun will step down, the U.S. State Department confirmed to NK News on Monday evening Washington DC time.

Yun had worked in the position, which is held concurrently with the role of Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Japan and Korea, since 2016.

He had previously served as U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia.

“Ambassador Joe Yun, a respected member of the Senior Foreign Service, has decided to retire for personal reasons, ‎and the Secretary has reluctantly accepted his decision and wished him ‎well,” State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement.

“We are sorry to