North Korea Reformer’s Return May Signal Policy Shift

North Korea restored economic reformist Pak Pong Ju to its leadership, Yonhap News said, a sign the communist nation that’s relied on food handouts since the mid-1990s may be ready to give market forces another chance.

The 71-year-old former North Korean premier has been reinstated as first deputy director of the central committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Yonhap News reported Aug. 21, citing a report by state-run Central Broadcasting Station.