SEOUL: Veteran North Korean diplomats are being sidelined from nuclear talks ahead of a second summit with the United States as recent defections and allegations of spying undermine the trust of leader Kim Jong-un, South Korean officials and experts say.
Kim has purged and replaced many top diplomats and officials who served his father and grandfather with new, younger advisors as he gears up to meet US President Donald Trump in Vietnam next week. Among the most significant changes, Kim has appointed little-known Kim Hyok-chol to spearhead working-level talks with US nuclear envoy Stephen Biegun.
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