North Korea Promotes General to Ruling Party's Presidium, State Media Says

SEOUL - North Korea has elevated a general long seen as a rising star in the country's powerful military and a major player in its missile program to a position in the presidium of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) politburo, state media reported Tuesday. 

Pak Jong Chon will also serve as secretary of the WPK Central Committee, KCNA news agency said.  His election to the presidium, one of the most powerful decision-making bodies in North Korea, came after he appeared to face reprimand or demotion in July after leader Kim Jong Un accused officials of causing a "great crisis" with unspecified coronavirus lapses.  North Korea has not reported any confirmed cases of the virus and never elaborated on what the crises or the lapses were.