S.Korea's Moon taps ex-adviser as foreign minister in bid to revive N.Korea talks

By Hyonhee Shin

SEOUL, Jan 20 (Reuters) - South Korea's president on Wednesday nominated a former national security adviser who played a bridging role in an unprecedented summit between North Korea and the United States in 2018 as the country's next foreign minister.

The nomination of Chung Eui-yong, 74, to replace Kang Kyung-wha as foreign minister five months after his retirement as President Moon Jae-in's top foreign policy and security adviser was seen as a bid to help revive stalled denuclearisation talks.

Chung had sought to mediate between Pyongyang and Washington but he was accused of misleading both sides about the potential for agreement after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump failed to reach a deal at their second summit in 2019. (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Stephen Coates)