US' Pyongyang envoy named Deputy Secretary of State

Washington, Nov 1 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has nominated Stephen Biegun, Washington's Special Representative for North korea, as the Deputy Secretary of State, said the White House.Biegun will replace John Sullivan, who was appointed as ambassador to Russia earlier this month, Xinhua news agency quoted the White House as saying on Thursday.Biegun has led the working-level denuclearization talks with North Korea since he took his current post in 2018.Biegun will keep his North Korea portfolio even if he was confirmed as Deputy Secretary of State, reported US media on Thursday, citing a senior State Department official as saying.Trump's nomination needs to be confirmed by the Senate. The denuclearization talks of the Korean Peninsula between Pyongyang and Washington have hit a stalemate since the second summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Trump in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi in late February ended without any agreement.
--IANS ksk/