Pyongyang: North Korea’s Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui has left Pyongyang for a visit to Russia and Belarus, as reported by state media.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Choe boarded a private jet from Pyongyang International Airport on Sunday, following invitations from the foreign ministers of Russia and Belarus. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) initially announced the diplomatic trip without detailing the itinerary, while Russia’s foreign ministry later confirmed that Choe would be visiting from Sunday through Tuesday.
This marks Choe’s first visit to Russia in nearly a year, following her previous trip in November 2024, when she met Russian President Vladimir Putin. Her current overseas engagement coincides with South Korea’s hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit on October 31 and November 1 in Gyeongju.
Choe’s absence from North Korea during the APEC events suggests that talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump are unlikely to occur at the global gathering. As Trump embarked on an Asia tour that includes South Korea during the APEC summit, he expressed a desire to meet Kim once again. Trump and Kim previously met three times during Trump’s first presidential term, with summits held in Singapore in 2018 and Vietnam in 2019.