North Korea has appointed diplomat Choe Son-Hui as its first female foreign minister, state media reported.
Choe, a long-serving diplomat who previously served as deputy foreign minister, replaces Ri Son-Gwon, a hardline former military man who has previously led talks with South Korea.
Choe has been a close ally of dictator Kim Jong-Un during nuclear talks with the United States and accompanied him to summits with then-President Donald Trump.
Diplomacy between Pyongyang and Washington DC has since stalled. In recent months, North Korea has not responded to the United States’ repeated offers to return to the negotiations.