Posted on : 2026-07-20 17:04 KST Modified on : 2026-07-20 17:04 KSTMany speculate that the foreign ministers of North Korea and Russia will discuss exchanges in the economic, security, and social sectors, as well as plans for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to visit Russia
Choe Son-hui, the foreign minister of North Korea. (KCNA/Yonhap)
At a time of increasing high-level dialogue between North Korea and China, North Korea’s top diplomat is paying a visit to Russia. The North’s Korean Central News Agency reported Sunday that Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui left Pyongyang in a private jet after receiving an invitation the previous day from her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. The report noted that Choe was sent off at Pyongyang International Airport by Kim Jong-gyu, the vice foreign minister, and Vladimir Topekha, charge d’affaires ad interim at the Russian Embassy in North Korea. Russia’s state-owned RIA Novosti confirmed on Saturday that Choe was scheduled to make an official visit to Moscow. Neither outlet stated the reason for Choe’s visit to Russia, nor provided a detailed itinerary. Choe is expected to hold talks with Lavrov and may pay a courtesy call on Russian President Vladimir Putin. Choe’s visit to Russia seems to be a reciprocal one following Lavrov’s visit to Wonsan, North Korea, in July 2025, and the two foreign ministers are expected to discuss regional developments such as bilateral cooperation, issues concerning the Korean Peninsula, and the war in Ukraine. This is Choe’s first visit to Russia in nine months following a “working visit” — the least ceremonial type of visit — on Oct. 26 to Oct 28, 2025. The working visit took place one month after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Putin visited Beijing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan and the end of WWII, where they also held a bilateral summit. Choe’s visit came at the invitation of Lavrov, who had asked her to attend the third Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security. Many speculate that the two diplomats will discuss exchanges in the economic, security, and social sectors, as well as plans for Kim Jong-un to visit Russia. Putin had requested that Kim visit Russia after attending the bilateral Pyongyang summit in June 2024 and the September meeting in China, but Kim has yet to respond to such requests. The timing of the visit has drawn attention, coming at a time when North Korea and China are strengthening ties. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Pyongyang in June for a summit with Kim, and exchanges between high-ranking officials have increased to mark the 65th anniversary of the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between the two countries, which was signed on July 11, 1961. Choe is expected to share these developments with Russia. On the other hand, Seoul-Moscow relations remain as tense as ever. Andrey Rudenko, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, met with Lee Seok-bae, the South Korean ambassador to Russia, on Thursday (local time), where he voiced concern over Korea’s growing cooperation with NATO. This expression of displeasure was in response to a proposal by the South Korean president during last week’s NATO summit, in which he suggested the creation of a revamped defense industry partnership to strengthen cooperation in the defense sector. It was reported that South Korea’s ambassador explained to Rudenko that Korea was not seeking to form a relationship on par with that of an alliance with NATO but was aiming to expand the market for its defense industry through such cooperation. “Our government is following our principle of national interests-oriented pragmatic diplomacy to pursue cooperation with various countries and international bodies, such as NATO,” South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained Sunday. “Our cooperation with NATO is for the sake of strengthening one another’s capabilities in various sectors such as defense, innovative technology, and cybersecurity, as well as to enhance our respective responsibilities and contributions to peace and stability in the international community,” it added. As NATO further strengthens its defense capabilities on account of the war in Ukraine, the obstacles that Seoul-Moscow relations face are considerable in number. Still, the Foreign Ministry said that the government “is engaging in communication with Russia for the stable management of Korea-Russia relations and the protection of our people and companies.”By Jang Ye-ji, staff reporterPlease direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]Related stories· After Iran war, North Korea’s nukes are an asset, not a burden, for China, says expert· Premiers of North Korea, China talk expanding economic cooperation and exchanges· Top diplomats of South Korea, Ukraine have ‘constructive’ talks on North Korean POW issue· Kim Yo-jong blasts G7 as ‘inviting disaster’ for demanding N. 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