New DPRK envoy unlikely to change ties

BEIJING - The ambassador of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) arrived on Tuesday, replacing his predecessor who had served for six months, in a move analysts said would not likely affect Beijing-Pyongyang ties.

Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the new DPRK envoy, Ji Jae-ryong, arrived on Tuesday, while confirming that his predecessor, Choe Pyong-gwan, had returned to Pyongyang.

Analysts said the rotation of top envoys was a routine domestic political decision by Pyongyang seeking to smooth preparations for a power shift for its future leader, and is unlikely to affect Beijing's relations with the DPRK, its longtime ally.