The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, also known as North Korea, has announced that the country’s top peace envoy to South Korea, Kim Yang-gon, was killed in a car crash on Tuesday.
The state-run media, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) gave no further details about the exact location of the car crash, but did eulogized him for his role in building the country.
KCNA said: “Comrade Kim Yang-gon, a Workers’ Party secretary and member of the party Central Committee Politbureau… died in a traffic accident at 6:15am, Tuesday, at age 73,” calling him a “closest comrade and a solid revolutionary partner.”
Kim Yang-gon is said to have been very close to the country’s supreme leader, Kim Jong Un. According to some sources, he was also very close to Kim Jong Un’s father, Kim Jong-il, who ruled North Korea from 1994 until his death in 2011.
Political commentators in the South, described the 73-year-old Kim Yang-gon as a top peace negotiator. Many are predicting that his absence could derail peace talks between the two countries.
The South Korean government has confirmed that it had sent a letter of condolence on Wednesday to the North, regarding the loss of Kim Yang-gon.
The BBC reports that Kim Yang-gon was part of a high-level delegation from North Korea that helped ease a stand-off with the South in August 2015, after an exchange of artillery fire between the two countries.
In August 2015, tension between the North and the South increased when a border blast injured two South Korean soldiers. South Korea quickly responded with artillery fire. The North fired back.
However, a series of meetings at that time, led by Kim Yang-gon, eventually led to the two countries stepping away from further military confrontation.
Kim Yang-gon started his statesmanship as a vice-director of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea in 1986. He was in charge of the International Liaison Department, and during this time, he oversaw the significant improvement of relations with Japan as head of North Korea-Japan Friendship Association.
He was a recipient of the top Order of Kim Il-sung in 1995. He was eventually promoted to director of the Workers’ Party in 1997. He visited China multiple times during his tenure. In 2005, the country bestowed him with the position of “councilor” to the National Defence Commission.
At the time of his death, he was the head of the United Front Department, the main agency responsible for the dealings with South Korea.
The ruling Workers’ Party has accorded him a state funeral, and it will be organized by top officials of the country, including the country’s supreme leader, Kim Jong Un. Mourners will able to start paying their last respects on Thursday.
In June 1950, an armed conflict broke out between the Communist-backed North Korea, and the Western-backed South Korea. The war ended in July 1953, resulting in a military stalemate between the two countries. Since then, relation between the two countries have remained hostile.
Observers predict that the two countries might go back to war again. Recently, the two countries have focused their efforts on secret military buildups and exercises; as a result, many believe the two countries are preparing for future conflict.
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