North Korean diplomat reappears after report he was sentenced to hard labor


A North Korean diplomat reported to have been sentenced to hard labor as part of a political purge has just made a public appearance.
What appears to be an image of Kim Yong Chol, former North Korean military intelligence chief and aide to Kim Jong Un, sitting near Kim Jong Un at an art performance was released by North Korea's state media on Monday, CNN reports. His name was also included on a list of officials who attended the event, The New York Times reports.
This comes after it had been reported by South Korean media that the former nuclear envoy, who visited President Trump at the White House last year, had been "purged" as numerous diplomats were blamed for the failed February summit between President Trump and Kim Jong Un. The report also stated that five officials involved in U.S. negotiations had been executed, including special envoy Kim Hyok Chol.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In recent months, the Times reports that Kim Yong Chol's visibility "has been vastly curtailed" as his influence is thought to be in decline due to the failed summit, although the original report of his forced labor sentence had been met with some skepticism. CNN notes that "an invitation to join Kim Jong Un in public would likely not be extended to someone who had fallen out of favor."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
An ancient Israeli cave is teaching us new archaeological lessons
The Explainer The cave is believed to be one of the world's oldest burial sites
-
Music reviews: Tyler Childers and Madonna
Feature "Snipe Hunter" and "Veronica Electronica"
-
Art review: Noah Davis
Feature Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, through Aug. 31
-
House committee subpoenas Epstein files
Speed Read The House Oversight Committee has issued a subpoena to the Justice Department for its Jeffrey Epstein files with an Aug. 19 deadline
-
India rejects Trump threat over Russian oil
Speed Read The president said he would raise tariffs on India for buying and selling Russian oil
-
NY's Hochul vows response to Texas gerrymander
Speed Read Gov. Kathy Hochul has promised to play ball with redistricting that favors the Democrats
-
Texas Democrats exit state to block redistricting vote
Speed Read More than 51 legislators fled the state in protest of the GOP's plan to redraw congressional districts
-
Trump criticized for firing BLS chief after jobs report
Speed Read Bureau of Labor Statistics chief Erika McEntarfer oversaw a July jobs report that the president claims was rigged
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib Bukele
Speed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect