DPRK Ambassador to Sweden Recalled to Pyongyang

Pak Kwang Chol (Pak Kwang-ch’o’l), the DPRK Ambassador to Sweden and nonresident to Finland, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Latvia and Lithuania, has been recalled to Pyongyang. According to Yonhap, Pak and his wife, “escorted by North Korean officials,” were observed boarding an Air Koryo flight bound for Pyongyang. Pak is the second confirmed DPRK ambassador to be recalled to his home country following the dismissal and execution of Jang Song Taek, former Vice Chairman of the National Defense Commission and Director of the Korean Workers’ Party [KWP] Administration Department. Pak was appointed the DPRK’s representative to Sweden on 19 September 2012. During 2013, Pak presented his diplomatic credentials (letter of credence) in Finland (January), Lithuania (March), Norway (March), Denmark (June) and Iceland (October). After presenting his letter of credence in Lithuania in March 2013, Pak was part of a minor dispute between Lithuania and the DPRK when a KCNA account of his meeting misrepresented the remarks of the Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė.