N. Korea's No. 3 man absent from key party meeting

All News 15:21 December 30, 2019

By Choi Soo-hyang

SEOUL, Dec. 30 (Yonhap) -- Former North Korean Premier Pak Pong-ju, considered No. 3 in Pyongyang's power hierarchy, was absent from a key Workers' Party meeting for the second day in a row, spurring speculation about what happened to him.

Pak, 80, a member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the party's Central Committee, was not shown in state media photos of the plenary meeting of the ruling party's Central Committee that has been under way since its opening Saturday.

When North Korea held the last party plenum in April, Pak was named a member of the politburo, along with leader Kim Jong-un and the North's No. 2 leader, Choe Ryong-hae.

Pak was last seen in public just three days ago when the North's official Korean Central News Agency said he inspected a cement complex. The North's main newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun, also carried the report on the second page of its Saturday edition.

North Korea's ruling party, the Workers' Party of Korea, holds the second day of the plenary meeting of the party's Central Committee, presided over by the North's leader Kim Jong-un, in Pyongyang on Dec. 29, 2019, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the next day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

Pak's absence from the party meeting is deemed unusual, especially considering his appearance in state media just days earlier.

He has also been accompanying the leader on major public activities, including the recent visit to a mausoleum in Pyongyang to commemorate the eighth anniversary of the death of late North Korean leader and Kim's father, Kim Jong-il.

Some observers say Pak's disappearance could be due to his advanced age.

"We will be able to tell whether there was any personal issue or a reshuffle through the party plenum after checking the North's additional reports on the event," unification ministry spokesperson Lee Sang-min told a regular press briefing.

The party meeting, which began Saturday, is expected to continue at least through Monday, as the North's state media said the event will continue at the end of its report on the second-day session.

The plenum is taking place amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with the North threatening to take a "new way" if Washington fails to offer concessions in their nuclear talks by the end of the year.

During the meeting, North Korea has discussed "offensive measures" to ensure the country's sovereignty and security, according to state media.