Washington reshuffles its staff for Korean Peninsula affairs

US Special Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen Biegun

New lineup seen as preparatory moves for long-term detailed negotiations with NK

Washington is reshuffling its Korean Peninsula affairs lineup on the heels of the US State Department’s recent appointment of Stephen Biegun as special representative for North Korea policy.

The changes are being seen as intended to strengthen the lineup ahead of long-term, detailed negotiations over North Korea’s denuclearization and corresponding measures.

The first visible move was Biegun’s appointment. Personally announced as a nominee by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Biegun reportedly plans to go to work next week visiting South Korea, Japan, and other countries. With experience handling foreign policy issues in the White House and Congress during the George W. Bush administration, he is seen as a prominent figure who was at one point mentioned as a possible White House National Security Advisor pick. He is expressed to play a leading role in North Korea negotiations beyond his deputy assistant secretary of state title, entrusted with considerable authority by Pompeo.

The position of special representative for North Korea policy was previously held by Joseph Yun, deputy assistant secretary of state for Korea and Japan, until his retirement last February. After Biegun was appointed in his place six months later, former US charge d’affaires ad interim Marc Knapper took over on Apr. 29 to fill the vacant position of acting deputy assistant secretary of state for Korea and Japan. The shift could be seen as bolstering Korean Peninsula-related affairs through greater specialization.

Korea desk director Mark Lambert, who served until last month as acting deputy assistant secretary of state for Korea and Japan and special representative for North Korea policy, also recently had his duties adjusted and is serving as acting deputy assistant secretary of state for North Korea, sources reported.

Marc Knapper, acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Korea and Japan

While North Korea-related duties in the State Department had previously been tasked to the assistant deputy secretary of state for Korea and Japan, the new position focuses exclusively on North Korea. But it remains unclear whether Lambert is being given an official title or assuming duties temporarily, a source said.

Lambert took part in working-level preparations for the North Korea-US summit in Singapore on June 12 and has been deeply involved in North Korea issues as part of a State Department working group for follow-up discussions. During a South Korea visit in late July, he called on business people involved in inter-Korean economic cooperation to slow the pace of their projects – a move North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper characterized as “throwing cold water on improvements in North-South relations and the North Korea-US dialogue climate.”

A successor is also being located for the position of assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, where Patrick Murphy (recently named US ambassador to Cambodia) has been serving in an acting role since Susan Thornton stepped down. Among the names that have been mentioned are former Air Force Brigadier General David Stilwell, who is known to be close with US ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris, and US ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim, who participated in working-level North Korea-US talks at Panmunjom.

By Hwang Joon-bum, Washington correspondent

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