US special envoy for the DPRK, Joseph Yun, is set to retire on Friday. The US State Department's announcement came just hours after President Donald Trump again rejected talks to resolve the DPRK nuclear crisis unless conditions are met. Yun, who was born in South Korea, is a strong advocate for direct contact with Pyongyang. Yun has been quietly pursuing direct diplomacy since taking his post under former President Barack Obama in 2016. His departure will leave the State Department without a point person for DPRK policy at a time when Pyongyang has signaled it may be willing to hold talks with the United States.