North Korea's top official in charge of relations with South Korea died Tuesday in a car accident, and analysts believe his death could further set back ties between the two countries.
A state funeral will be held for Kim Yang Gon, 73, on Thursday, the Korean Central News Agency reports. The head of the Workers' Party's United Front Department, Kim had been in his position for a long time, and earlier in December, met with a South Korean counterpart for high-level talks. Following his death, "I worry that we cannot avoid long suspension of a dialogue between South and North Korea," Cheong Seong-chang of South Korea's Sejong Institute told The Associated Press.
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