One of North Korea’s long-serving diplomats may have been demoted or retired from his positions as a member of the Politburo and vice chairman at the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) in charge of international affairs, analysis suggested on Monday.

Ri Su Yong, who additionally serves as chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the DPRK Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA), has been absent from a number of key political events in recent weeks.

Speculation that the 79-year-old Ri had been demoted first emerged early this month, when he did not appear in a group photo of