North Korea names economic reformer as premier
Move comes amid calls for economic development; Pak Pong Ju was previously fired for proposing US-style wage system
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North Korean army officers and soldiers attend a rally at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, in February. (photo credit: AP/Jon Chol Jin)
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea has chosen a new premier who was reportedly sacked as prime minister in 2007 after proposing a US-style wage system.
Monday’s announcement of Pak Pong Ju’s appointment at a parliamentary session comes after weeks of warlike rhetoric aimed at the US and South Korea over annual military drills and UN sanctions.
Pak’s re-emergence at the top of North Korea’s Cabinet signals that he will play a key role in economic policymaking again.
The move comes as leader Kim Jong Un calls for strengthened economic development. The UN says two-thirds of the country’s 24 million people face regular food shortages.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
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