North’s foreign minister to visit Russia, Belarus, state media says

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui [YONHAP]

 
Choe Son-hui, a Politburo member of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party and the country’s foreign minister, will visit Russia and Belarus, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Sunday.  
 
The North’s state media said Choe was traveling at the invitation of the Russian and Belarusian foreign ministries. It did not specify her itinerary, schedule or agenda.
 
 
Choe last visited Moscow in November 2023, where she met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and paid a courtesy call on President Vladimir Putin. Her latest trip is expected to include another meeting with Lavrov, where they could discuss a potential visit to Russia by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
 
Her tour comes just days before U.S. President Donald Trump’s planned visit to South Korea on Oct. 29 to 30, drawing attention to the timing. According to AFP and Reuters, Trump told reporters at the White House before departing for his Asia trip that he’s “open” to meeting.  
 
Trump also emphasized that he was “100 percent open” to meeting Kim during his Asia trip and added that his relationship with Kim is “very good.”  
 
Trump’s remarks were widely seen as a direct message to Kim ahead of his visit to Korea for the APEC summit in Gyeongju.
 
However, analysts say the chances of another U.S.-North Korea summit have diminished, as Choe — expected to play a key role in any such meeting — is abroad during Trump’s visit.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.