Key NKorean official dies

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un’s “most trustworthy” aide who oversaw ties with the South has died in a traffic accident, Pyongyang’s state media said Wednesday, a loss seen as a blow to efforts at reconciliation between the two rivals.

Kim has earned a reputation for ruthlessness after eliminating previous high-ranking officials including his uncle but the announcement of a state funeral for Kim Yang-Gon appears to indicate his death was not part of a fresh purge.