UN Appoints New Coordinator for North Korea, Marking First Entry Since Pandemic

North Korea is permitting the entry of an international organization official for the first time since the pandemic.

According to the UN Headquarters on the 4th (local time), UN Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Joe Columbano, the former chief of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in China, as the new UN Resident Coordinator in Pyongyang on the 1st.

Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said, “Coordinator Columbano will support North Korea’s efforts related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda and lead the UN team in areas such as food, security, social development services, resilience and sustainability, and data development management.”

Dujarric announced the approval of the North Korean government regarding appointing the new coordinator in North Korea. Until he enters North Korea, the newly appointed Columbano will work remotely from the UN office in Bangkok, Thailand.

The entry of an international organization official into North Korea is the first in three years since 2021. North Korea closed its borders in January 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, and by the end of 2021, all international organization officials had left North Korea.