Kim Jong Un's policies are changing rapidly, analysts and sources in South Korea said Wednesday. File Photo by KCNA/UPI | License Photo

July 18 (UPI) -- Kim Jong Un called for an "emergency" meeting of North Korea's diplomatic mission chiefs, or ambassadors, to Pyongyang, according to a South Korean press report.

JoongAng Ilbo reported Wednesday Kim called for an unscheduled meeting of senior diplomats as North Korea continues its policy of engagement with the world.


Since the founding of the country, Pyongyang has held ambassadorial-level meetings about 40 times, according to the report.

A South Korean government source told the JoongAng that, while Seoul holds an annual meeting of diplomatic chiefs, North Korea holds similar meetings once every two years.

"It is especially rare North Korea announces the ambassadorial meetings" ahead of time, the government source said.

North Korea has held the meetings in 2015 and 2017. In 2011, ambassadors were instructed to bring in 800,000 tons of food.

The report of the meeting comes at a time when North Korea has significantly changed its diplomatic outlook, especially with regard to China, its closest partner.

Kim's relations with Chinese President Xi Jinping had been frosty before 2018. He and Xi have now met three times in China.

The meeting of North Korean ambassadors could take place this week, a second South Korean government source said. More than 50 members of the North Korean foreign ministry and Workers' Party are expected to share views at the dialogue.

On the domestic front, Kim recently made waves when he expressed anger while visiting a power station that has remained incomplete since 1981.

Hwang Jae-joon, a visiting researcher at the Sejong Institute in Seoul, said the recent incident indicates economic policy directives could be moved out of the North Korean Cabinet and into the Workers' Party, according to EDaily.

Hwang said Kim has been visiting sites for three weeks, a move that will have a major impact in the country.