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North Korea's foreign minister visits Russia ahead of APEC, suggests less chance of Trump-Kim meeting

Published: 26 Oct. 2025, 17:17 Updated: 26 Oct. 2025, 18:33

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, shakes hands with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui during a meeting in Moscow on Nov. 4, 2024. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

With five days left until the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, North Korea’s Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui is set to visit Russia, according to state media reports on Sunday. Choe oversees Pyongyang’s bilateral and multilateral diplomacy.

The announcement comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly expressed his willingness to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the sidelines of the summit.

Analysts say Pyongyang’s choice to prioritize solidarity with Moscow and Beijing — which demonstrated a “new anti-U.S. alliance” during China’s Victory Day parade on Sept. 3 — reflects its intent to strengthen ties with its traditional partners before engaging Washington.

The Korean Central News Agency reported on Sunday that Choe will visit the Russian Federation and Belarus at the invitation of their respective foreign ministries. The dispatch did not specify details about her itinerary or agenda.

Experts say Choe’s absence from Pyongyang — given her key role in managing working-level relations with Washington — may suggest that the likelihood of a Trump-Kim meeting has decreased.

“By reaffirming the blood alliance with Russia, Pyongyang may be signaling pressure on Trump,” said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies. “Kim likely fears being politically exploited, given Trump’s difficult domestic and international circumstances.”

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits the cemetery for Chinese People’s Volunteers on Oct. 25. [RODONG SINMUN]

Pyongyang underscores ties with China

North Korea also appears intent on reinforcing its traditional alliance with China. The Workers’ Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported on Sunday that the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang hosted a banquet the previous day to mark the 75th anniversary of Chinese participation in the Korean War.

Kim Jong-un paid his respects at the cemetery for Chinese People’s Volunteers in Hoechang County, South Pyongan Province on Friday, further highlighting the North’s “blood alliance” with China. State media released photos showing Kim laying a wreath at the grave of Mao Anying — the son of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong — who was killed in a U.S. airstrike during the war.

“North Korea seems to be leveraging stronger ties with China and Russia as a counterweight to the U.S.-Japan-South Korea alignment,” said Lee Byong-chul, also from Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies. “Since Trump has already referred to North Korea as a kind of nuclear power, Pyongyang appears to be taking advantage of the situation to raise its strategic value.”

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pays tribute to fallen Chinese soldiers who died during the Korean War at a cemetery in Hoechang County, South Phyongan Province on Oct. 24. [KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY]

North Korean interpreter defects

Japan’s Kyodo News reported on Saturday that a North Korean interpreter defected to South Korea via its embassy in Ulaanbaatar while accompanying a delegation led by Thae Hyong-chol, the president of the Academy of Social Sciences, during a late-August visit to Mongolia.

Although the interpreter’s exact role and affiliation remain unclear, Kyodo cited diplomatic sources as saying the defector likely belonged to the North Korean elite, given the regime’s strict control over overseas travel.

The outlet also reported that Pyongyang recently replaced its ambassador to Mongolia, noting that while the connection to the defection remains uncertain, it “may have been a result of accountability measures.”

Kyodo added that “elite defections continue under Kim Jong-un’s rule,” explaining that although North Korea officially regards South Korea as an enemy, “some well-informed elites have grown disillusioned with the regime’s isolation.”

During his August trip, Thae reportedly urged Mongolian officials to support Pyongyang’s stance on its “two hostile states” policy and rejection of unification. It was North Korea’s first such academic delegation to Mongolia in seven years.

The South Korean Foreign and Unification Ministries both said they had “nothing to confirm” regarding the reported defection.

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.
BY SHIM SEOK-YONG [[email protected]]