North's main envoy to South dies at 70

Top Pyongyang officials hit average age of 75

North Korea's point man on South Korea, Rim Tong-ok, has died at the age of 70.

Rim, who was director of the North's Workers Party's Central Committee, the country's main governmental body, died of a terminal illness as of 7 a.m. on Aug. 20, the North's Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

"The comrade Rim Tong-ok, who was born in a poor rural family and had lived in poverty and discrimination, dedicated himself to the construction of socialism and national reunification," the KCNA reported.

Experts and government officials expect Rim's death to have little impact on the current South-North relations. A South Korean government official, who asked not to be named, said that, much like before, "major concerns on South-North relations will be checked by the North's leader Kim Jong-il. The big picture will be retained."

However, a temporary gap in the delivery of messages to the North's leader is expected for some time, due to a lack of middle-class bureaucrats to do the task, the official said.

South Korea's Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok sent his condolences regarding Rim's death on Aug. 21, said Yang Chang-seok, the ministry spokesman.

Rim's death has raised questions about the North's aging leadership and a possible change in the communist state's power structure. Following the deaths of the first generation of North Korean leaders, who were confidants of previous North Korean leader Kim Il-sung, the second-generation aides to Kim Jong-il - the former Kim's son - are suffering from disease or old age.

Last October, Yeon Hyeong-mook, one of Kim Jong-il's confidants that played a large role in modernizing North Korea's economy and military industry, died at the age of 73 due to an "incurable disease" believed to be a pancreatic cancer. North Korea's foreign minister Paik Nam-sun, 77, is reportedly suffering from renal failure. North Korea's No. 3, Cho Myung-rok, 78, has renal failure as well, and is believed to have been treated in China three times for his ailment.

The average age of the top 20 men in North Korea's government - or those who attended the country's celebration October last year to mark the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the labor party - was just over 75. North Korea's No. 2 and No. 3 men, Kim Young-nam and Cho Myung-rok, both turned 77 last year. Yang Hyung-seop, a vice chairman of the North's Supreme People's Committee, and two other secretaries, Kim Kook-tae and Kim Joong-rin, are in their 80s.

The ranks of the so-called "third generation" of officials fill posts dedicated to relations with the South. Those include Kwon Ho-ung, 50, the North's negotiator for inter-Korean ministerial talks, and Choi Seung-chul, 50, vice chairman of the Chosun Asia Pacific Peace Committee.