hankyoreh

former US Special Envoy for the Six-Party Talks

With the talks on hold, Clifford Hart moves to Hong Kong; no word on a replacement yet

The US announced on Apr. 29 (EST) that it had appointed Clifford Hart, who had been the special envoy for the six-party talks, as the consul general for Hong Kong and Macao. It appears that he will start his post in Aug. 2013, the usual time for rotation of diplomats.

Hart was appointed as envoy in Jun. 2011 to take the position of Sung Kim, who is now the current US ambassador to South Korea. Since the six-party talks have been on hold since Dec. 2008, Hart will be leaving his post without having taken part in the talks even once.

However, Hart had carried on unofficial diplomatic activity with North Korea. He has served as the US representative in the so-called “New York channel.” It was in this capacity that he met with Han Song-ryol, North Korean deputy ambassador to the UN, in April 2013. An official at the US State Department said that nothing has yet been determined with regard to Hart‘s replacement.

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