Ho Dam; Former North Korean Foreign Minister

Ho Dam, 62, who was foreign minister of North Korea from 1971 to 1983. Ho was a member of the ruling Politburo of North Korea’s Communist Party. As foreign minister in 1977, he became the first senior North Korean official to visit the United States. Starting in 1971, he served as vice minister, first vice minister and minister of foreign affairs, gaining the post of vice premier in 1972. Ho left the foreign minister’s job in 1983 and became secretary of the ruling party. Last year, he was named chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly, North Korea’s parliament. The Korean Central News Agency reported that he had died last weekend but gave no details.