For the first time in five years, South Korea has a special ambassador for North Korean human rights: Foreign minister Park Jin formally appointed Lee Shin-wha to serve in the position for a year on Thursday, and she brings decades of experience in multilateral diplomacy to the role.

Lee’s appointment, a few months into the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, comes as the Biden administration continues to leave Washington’s own DPRK human rights envoy position vacant despite vowing to fill it over a year ago.