Change in North Korea Nuclear Diplomacy and Security Team toward the US... Noh Kyu-duk, New Chief, "Best Efforts for Progress in the Peace Process"

Noh Kyu-duk Appointed as New Head of Korean Peninsula Peace Negotiations... Kim Jun-gu, Former Honolulu Consul General, Named Blue House Peace Planning Secretary
Lee Do-hoon Sets 'Longest-Serving' Record and Steps Down

Noh Kyu-duk, New Head of the Korean Peninsula Peace Negotiations Division

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 21st, President Moon Jae-in appointed Noh Kyu-duk (57), Secretary for Peace Planning at the Blue House, as the Vice Minister-level Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Office for Peaceful Settlement of the Korean Peninsula.

The Head of the Office for Peaceful Settlement of the Korean Peninsula is a key position responsible for coordinating practical cooperation with the six-party talks participants on North Korea’s nuclear issue, including the U.S. State Department, China, Japan, and Russia. This is the first replacement in 3 years and 3 months since the appointment of Lee Do-hoon in September 2017.

The newly appointed Head Noh entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the 21st Foreign Service Examination and has served as Director of Coordination and Planning at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Head of the Peace Diplomacy Planning Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador to Nigeria, Minister Counselor, and Spokesperson. Since March last year, he has worked as Security Strategy Secretary and Peace Planning Secretary at the National Security Office of the Blue House.

On his way to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Head Noh told reporters, "Given the fluid situation on the Korean Peninsula, I feel a heavy responsibility entrusted to me," adding, "I will strive to establish close relations with relevant countries, including the Biden administration, as soon as possible." He continued, "I will do my best to advance the peace process on the Korean Peninsula," and added, "I will communicate closely with the governments of relevant countries regarding ways to break the deadlock in South-North-U.S. talks."

Following the appointment of Head Noh as the Head of the Office for Peaceful Settlement of the Korean Peninsula, the Blue House appointed former Honolulu Consul General Kim Jun-gu as the new Peace Planning Secretary. The newly appointed Secretary Kim entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the 26th Foreign Service Examination and has served as Director of the North America Division 2, Counselor of the North America Bureau, and Foreign and Security Policy Officer at the Office for Government Policy Coordination.

This replacement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Head of the Office for Peaceful Settlement of the Korean Peninsula and the Blue House Peace Planning Secretary is interpreted as a preemptive reorganization of the diplomatic line dealing with Korean Peninsula issues ahead of the inauguration of the Joe Biden administration in January next year. In diplomatic circles, there have been suggestions that, in line with the Biden administration’s preference for a bottom-up approach to phased practical dialogue rather than a top-down method, it is necessary to establish a new diplomatic and security line with new dialogue partners to handle Korean Peninsula issues.

Stephen Biegun, Deputy Secretary of State and Special Representative for North Korea, who was the chief negotiator on North Korea’s nuclear issue under the Donald Trump administration, visited South Korea from the 8th for a four-night, five-day schedule as his last official visit. During this visit, he held official meetings with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, First Vice Minister Choi Jong-geun, and Head Lee Do-hoon. Since his appointment as Special Representative for North Korea in August 2018, Deputy Secretary Biegun has worked closely with Head Lee Do-hoon on Korean Peninsula issues.

Newly appointed Head Noh is expected to work closely with First Vice Minister Choi Jong-geun, who served as the first Peace Planning Secretary under the Moon Jae-in administration, focusing on maintaining momentum for dialogue to advance the "Korean Peninsula Peace Process" in the fifth year of the Moon administration. Newly appointed Secretary Kim also served as Foreign and Security Policy Officer at the Office for Government Policy Coordination during Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon’s tenure in 2018.

Meanwhile, Lee Do-hoon, who served as the inaugural Head under the Moon Jae-in administration, holds the record for the longest tenure since the position of Head of the Office for Peaceful Settlement of the Korean Peninsula was established in 2006.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.