Choe Son-hui

Choe Son-hui (; born 10 August 1964) is a North Korean politician and diplomat who has been the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs since 11 June 2022. Previously the First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, she is the first woman to hold the position and is one of few North Korean women holding a high-level office. In December 2024, she became a member of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea.

Choe is fluent in English and interpreted at the six-party talks and Washington-Pyongyang dialogue early in her career. Choe has worked in the foreign ministry as a section chief and deputy director. Since 2016, she has served as the deputy director-general of the North American department. In 2018, she was appointed as a regular vice minister with a North American portfolio. The following year, she became the first vice minister.

Choe is reportedly a regular participant in track 1.5 and track 2 diplomacy and has experience in the area of North Korea–United States relations and nuclear issues. A statement by Choe released before the 2018 North Korea–United States Singapore Summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un led to President Trump temporarily cancelling the meeting. Choe had referred to US Vice President Mike Pence as a "political dummy", angering Trump. Regardless, Choe was a participant in the summit when it took place on 12 June. At the 2019 North Korea–United States Hanoi Summit, Choe made a last-minute attempt to reach an agreement with her American counterparts, but failed to reach a deal.

Early life Choe Son-hui was born on 10 August 1964 in North Korea. She is the stepdaughter of Choe Yong-rim, a former Premier of North Korea. She is experienced in negotiating on the nuclear program of North Korea, She worked as an interpreter and aide in nuclear talks under First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Kye-gwan. She also served in this capacity during former US president Bill Clinton's visit to Pyongyang following the 2009 imprisonment of American journalists by North Korea and a similar visit by Jimmy Carter. She has said that severing of United States' military alliance with Japan and South Korea are prerequisites for negotiations and that US withdrawal from Korea should be a verifiable process.

Choe has served as section chief, deputy director, In June 2016, Choe became director of the department and director of IFAS. representing the 484th Electoral District (Onjong).

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs

Choe was promoted to the rank of Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs in late February 2018, Choe's portfolio included responsibility for those relations and with Canada.

Choe's appointment had been interpreted as reflecting North Korea's willingness to negotiate with the United States as she had allegedly expressed a conciliatory position during the initial 2017 North Korea crisis. In May, she participated in track 1.5 talks with former US diplomats, in order to get to know the administration of US president Donald Trump.

On 24 May, the state news agency KCNA released a statement by Choe in which she criticized US Vice President Mike Pence,

Choe is thought to have direct access to Kim Jong Un, Choe's remarks directly led to Trump promptly notifying North Korea that the planned 2018 North Korea–United States Singapore Summit would be canceled.

In the end, the summit was organized on 12 June and Choe was present. She was replaced as the head of working-level negotiations in early 2019. Choe was the last person to have talked to the American team of negotiators. She made a last-minute suggestion that all facilities of the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center could be demolished. When she was then asked to clarify what the offer meant, she was unable to give any further details, resulting in the American team walking out.

Choe is the highest-ranking woman in the foreign ministry. She is one of a few women in holding such a high-level office in North Korean politics overall.

Minister of Foreign Affairs On 11 June 2022, Choe was appointed the minister of foreign affairs, becoming the first woman to hold the position.

In December 2024, during the plenary session of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Choe was promoted to become a member of the WPK Politburo.

As the minister of foreign affairs Choe Son-hui was invited by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to a "third strategic dialogue" on July 20, 2026 in Moscow. The day before she met the Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin.