Foreign news media speculate the outcome of a leadership reshuffle carried out in North Korea signals the regime has not given up on negotiations with the United States.

Bloomberg said that in a signal that North Korea hasn’t given up on negotiating, Kim Yong-chol was reappointed a member of the State Affairs Commission, noting he is one of the highest-profile officials involved in the nuclear talks.

The report said that Choe Son-hui, another official who has played a highly visible role in the talks, was promoted to first vice foreign minister. 

Bloomberg said that could give her even more sway if talks restart with the U.S., citing Victor Cha, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, as saying that Choe as first vice foreign minister puts her in position to be U.S. nuclear envoy Stephen Biegun’s counterpart.

In an article titled "North Korea bolsters diplomatic lineup amid stalled U.S. talks," the Associated Press also said the new personnel appointments may be a sign of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's desire to keep diplomacy alive rather than returning to the threats and weapons tests that characterized 2017, when many feared war on the Korean Peninsula. 

Reuters also highlighted that in the leadership reshuffle, several officials who have played leading roles in negotiations with the U.S. were promoted including Choe.

The New York Times noted that Choe has been a fixture in the North’s negotiations with Washington over the past couple of decades.