Senior N.Korean official dies

China on Wednesday expressed its condolences to the death of Kim Yang-gon, a senior party official of North Korea, who on Wednesday was announced killed in a car crash on Tuesday. Kim, 73, served as director of the United Front Department and secretary of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) before his death. He became a member of the political bureau of the WPK Central Committee in February 2015. China said Kim had made positive achievements in promoting the relations between the two countries. "Comrade Kim Yang-gon has long been committed to developing China-­DPRK relations," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said. "He has, in particular, made active contributions to high-level exchanges between both sides and parties." South Korea's Unification Ministry also said that it delivered condolences to the United Front Department, in the name of Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo. North Korea's state news agency KCNA spoke highly of the life of Kim, hailing him as a "loyal revolutionary warrior" of the North's late leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il and the "closest comrade-in-arms" of current top leader Kim Jong-un. The KCNA said Kim Yang-gon's exploits will leave a long legacy. Kim Yang-gon was committed to the independent reunification of the Korean Peninsula and fully implemented the teachings of the two late leaders in terms of national reunification, it said. His death was a "huge loss" for the party and the people, as he has shown "noble loyalty and strong ability" in devoting himself to the party's undertakings, it noted. A state funeral committee has been set up, which is chaired by top leader Kim Jong-un. A state funeral procession will be held on Thursday. On October 4, 2014, Kim Yang-gon was sent to attend the closing ceremony of Incheon Asia Games in South Korea, along with two other senior officials, Hwang Pyong-so and Choe Ryong-hae, in a bid to improve inter-Korean ties. This was the highest-level delegation dispatched to South Korea since Kim Jong-un took power in 2011. Kim Yang-gon also took part in marathon negotiations following a rare exchange of fire at the North-South border in August. The two Koreas finally reached a six-point agreement to defuse rising tensions, including plans to hold inter-governmental meetings and reunions for separated families split by the 1950-53 Korean War.