North Korea recently promoted First European Department director general Im Chon Il to the position of Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, state media and the Russian Embassy in the DPRK reported this week. 

The first mention of Im in his new role came in a November 5 report in the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) regarding the visit of a delegation of former Russian diplomats to Pyongyang.

The longtime Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) official’s name previously appeared in the country’s media in February in his former capacity, visiting Russia as part of a working-level delegation.

It is unclear precisely