North Korea appointed a new prime minister on Monday, choosing a former premier who was sacked from the post in 2007 in a reported backlash against his pursuit of economic reforms. Pak Pong-Ju, 74, was sworn in at the annual meeting of the Supreme People’s Assembly, the North’s rubber-stamp parliament, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. He replaces Choe Yong-Rim. Pak previously served as prime minister from 2003-2007 when he spearheaded hesitant market reforms that sought to provide state firms with more autonomy and gradually reduce state rationing of food and daily necessities.