North Korea’s Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui has departed Pyongyang for a trip to Russia and Belarus, state media reported Monday.
On board a private jet, Choe left Pyongyang International Airport the previous day to visit the two countries at the invitation of their foreign ministers, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
The KCNA first announced the two-nation trip Sunday without providing a detailed itinerary, while Russia’s foreign ministry later disclosed that Choe’s visit to the country will run from Sunday through Tuesday.
Her trip to Russia will mark her first in about a year. She last visited Moscow in November 2024 and paid a courtesy call on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Choe’s overseas trip coincides with South Korea’s hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 in the southeastern city of Gyeongju.
Her absence from North Korea during the APEC period suggests that no talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump are likely to take place on the occasion of the global gathering.
As Trump departed for an Asia swing over the weekend, which includes a trip to South Korea on the occasion of the APEC summit, he expressed a wish to meet Kim again.
Trump met Kim three times during his first presidential term, including summits in Singapore in 2018 and Vietnam in 2019.