North Korea's Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui has departed Pyongyang for visits to Russia and Belarus. The trip, at the invitation of their foreign ministers, marks her first to Russia in about a year. It coincides with South Korea's APEC summit, suggesting slim chances for a meeting between Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump.
North Korea's state media, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), reported on October 26 that Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui will visit Russia and Belarus. She departed from Pyongyang International Airport on October 26 (Sunday) aboard a private jet for the two-nation tour. Russia's foreign ministry announced that Choe's working visit to Moscow will last three days, from Sunday through Tuesday, October 28.
This marks her first trip to Russia in about a year; she last visited Moscow in November 2024 and paid a courtesy call on Russian President Vladimir Putin. The KCNA did not provide a detailed itinerary but confirmed the inclusion of Belarus.
Choe's overseas trip coincides with South Korea's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit on October 31 and November 1 in Gyeongju. Her absence during this period suggests that talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump are unlikely at the global gathering. Trump, ahead of his Asia swing including South Korea, expressed a wish to meet Kim again, having held three summits during his first term—in Singapore in 2018 and Vietnam in 2019.
Amid North Korea's troop deployment to support Russia's war in Ukraine, Pyongyang has deepened military ties with Moscow and is working to restore relations with China. Kim has indicated openness to U.S. engagement if Washington drops its denuclearization demands. A senior U.S. official noted that a Trump-Kim meeting is not on the current Asia trip schedule but added that 'things can change.'
