New york: North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son-gyong has arrived in New York to attend the ongoing United Nations General Assembly. A delegation led by Kim departed Pyongyang on Thursday, as reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), for the 80th U.N. General Assembly.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim reportedly arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport the same day aboard North Korea's flag carrier, Air Koryo, en route to New York. This marks the first time North Korea has sent a high-level delegation to the U.N. General Assembly since 2019. The last notable attendance was when leader Kim Jong-un's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi, Vietnam, concluded without a deal.
From 2014 to 2018, North Korea's foreign ministers, initially Ri Su-yong followed by Ri Yong-ho, attended the annual session. In the subsequent years, Kim Song-gyong, North Korea's permanent representative to the U.N., has represented Pyongyang at the General Assembly.
The vice foreign minister is scheduled to deliver a speech on Monday, the final day of the general debate. This event will mark the first address at the General Assembly by a North Korean official dispatched directly from Pyongyang in seven years.