Choe Son-hui: From an Orphan to a Resilient Foreign Minister, Growing with Kim Jong-un's Confidence

- Privileged upbringing under the guidance of her adoptive father

- Tainted reputation due to aggressive nature and blunt speech

- Involved in a long-term extramarital affair with former Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho, leading to divorce

- Despite a year in office, no significant progress in US-North Korea relations

There are discussions about the possibility of North Korea's Foreign Minister, Choe Son-hui, attending the upcoming ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, in July. Indonesia, as the host country, is said to be sharing relevant information with North Korea to facilitate Choe Son-hui's participation. The attention on Choe Son-hui, North Korea's first female foreign minister, is on the rise.

Choe Son-hui was born in Pyongyang on August 10, 1964. At a very young age, she was sent to an orphanage and later adopted by Choe Yong-rim, a former Prime Minister and Secretary of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly. Though specific details remain undisclosed, there are suggestions that Choe Son-hui's biological parents, who were North Korean agents, passed away, allowing her to be adopted into Choe Yong-rim's family due to this background.

Choe Yong-rim, who hailed from the Mangyongdae Revolutionary School, played a significant role in North Korea. During the Korean War, he served by Kim Il-sung's side in the renowned "elite guard unit." He held various prominent positions, including a decade as Kim Il-sung's secretary, followed by stints as the Chief Prosecutor and Prime Minister.

Growing up in a privileged environment as the daughter of a high-ranking official, Choe Son-hui had a comfortable upbringing. In 1976, during her middle school years, she pursued studies in China and later enrolled in Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies and Kim Il Sung University. During the 1980s, she enjoyed special privileges by studying abroad in countries like Austria and Malta to learn English.

After graduating from university in 1988, Choe Son-hui joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at her father's encouragement. She began her career as an interpreter and language specialist. It was at the Six-Party Talks on the North Korean nuclear issue that she gained attention for her outspoken nature. During the third round of talks in 2004, when the South Korean chief representative praised Kim Kye-gwan, Choe Son-hui retorted sharply, questioning the significance of making a good impression.

Her impolite and overbearing demeanor, such as refusing to engage in conversations with fellow interpreters during breaks, led to speculation about her background. However, it was later confirmed that Choe Son-hui indeed held a prominent position as the daughter of a high-ranking official. Her participation in the Six-Party Talks allowed her to solidify her position within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as she had the opportunity to meet Kim Kye-gwan, the chief representative of the North Korean delegation at the time.

During that time, Kim Kye-gwan delivered a speech asserting that the 2019 DPRK-USA Hanoi Summit had achieved what no previous US president had accomplished, and Trump subsequently announced that the summit would proceed, thus ensuring Choe Son-hui's survival.

Choe not only faced criticism from external sources but also had a negative reputation within North Korea due to her difficult personality. 

Particularly during her tenure in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was widely known that she had a long-term extramarital relationship with former Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho. Defectors from North Korean diplomatic circles have revealed that Choe Son-hui and Ri Yong-ho had an affair even while overseas. However, after the 2019 DPRK-USA Hanoi Summit, Choe Son-hui took on a more prominent role, overshadowing Ri Yong-ho, which created a sense of crisis for him. Eventually, their relationship came to an end when their infidelity was exposed.

Following the failure of the "Hanoi No Deal," Ri Yong-ho and other high-ranking officials were dismissed, but Choe Son-hui, unexpectedly, was promoted to the position of First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs just one month later in April 2019. Another factor contributing to Choe Son-hui's rise to power was her father's influence. There were rumors that Kim Jong-il served as the guarantor of her party entry, which meant that no one in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dared to treat her with disrespect. With this background, Choe Son-hui advanced in her career effortlessly and fearlessly voiced her opinions.

It is reported that Choe Son-hui's aggressive nature and the revelation of her extramarital affair eventually led to her divorce. Her husband, who worked for a foreign trade company, endured her infidelity due to fear of her influential family and openly spoke about the mistreatment and disregard he experienced.

Since assuming the role of Foreign Minister in June 2022, Choe Son-hui has had a relatively uneventful year as the North Korea-US relationship remains deadlocked. Even if she attends the upcoming ARF, it is anticipated that she will avoid meetings with foreign ministers from South Korea, the United States, and Japan, and instead focus on cultivating positive relationships with counterparts from China and Russia.

It could be seen as a stroke of luck for Choe Son-hui to find herself in this situation. Throughout her journey, she has benefited from the lingering aura of her influential father and has advanced by stepping on many others. However, Choe Son-hui herself is acutely aware that a single misstep could bring her down just like any other official. Considering North Korea's triple burden of sanctions, prolonged COVID-19 lockdowns, and natural disasters, along with Kim Jong-un's leadership style that values the dedication and achievements of officials, the verdict will soon be reached.