Korean-born envoy becomes new US point man on N. Korea: Yonhap

By Park Sae-jin Posted : October 19, 2016, 08:21 Updated : October 19, 2016, 08:21

[Courtesy of US state department]


Former US Ambassador to Malaysia Joseph Yun has taken office as Washington's new point man on North Korea, the State Department said.

Yun, 62, is back to Washington as special representative for North Korea policy and deputy assistant secretary for Korea and Japan, the department said in a Twitter message. He succeeded Ambassador Sung Kim, who is set to take office as ambassador to the Philippines after two years on the job.

Yun, a Korean American, is considered a top State Department expert on Asia and served two stints at the Embassy in Seoul. Other overseas assignments included Thailand, France, Indonesia and Hong Kong, in addition to Malaysia.

In 2013, he served as a principal deputy assistant secretary at the East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau. Yun is scheduled to hold the first meeting with his South Korean counterpart, Kim Hong-kyun, this week as Kim is traveling to Washington for a "two plus two" meeting of the foreign and defense ministers of the two countries.

Yun was born in Seoul and moved to the US in 1963. He graduated from University of Wales and London School of Economics. He entered the Foreign Service in 1985.

(Yonhap)
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