Some Seoul analysts say Ri's appointment could be part of a bid to revive long-stalled diplomacy and improve ties with the outside world after Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test in January led to international criticism and tough sanctions.
Ri has served as the North's top envoy to long-stalled six-nation disarmament talks on his country's nuclear weapons program and participated in talks with the United States in the 1990s.
If Ri Su Yong's promotion is correct, he replaces Kang Sok Ju, a foreign policy specialist who negotiated a deal with the U.S. in 1994 to freeze and ultimately dismantle North Korea's nuclear reactor in exchange for economic aid.
