Date: Monday, July 20, 2026
Time: 10:30-10:35 A.M.

1. Minister's Schedule

Minister Chung Dongyoung will sit down for a meeting with a delegation from the Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue (NEACD) today at 4 P.M.

On July 21, at 10 A.M., Minister Chung will attend the cabinet meeting.

On July 22, at 12 P.M., Minister Chung will have a luncheon meeting with Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik.

On July 23, at 10 A.M., Minister Chung will host a roundtable with North Korea studies scholars.

On July 24, at 10 A.M., Minister Chung will attend the signing ceremony for a Memorandum of Understanding with Yeomyung School.

2. Vice Minister's Schedule

Vice Minister Kim Nam Jung will sit down for a meeting with the Director General of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on July 21 at 10 A.M.

On July 24, at 12 P.M., Vice Minister Kim will visit a cultural outreach event in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province that provides workers in industrial complexes with an opportunity to reflect on peace and unification.

3. Q&A

Q. North Korean foreign minister Choe Son Hui visited Russia without any obvious occasion. Does the Ministry assess that this could be related to the possibility of Kim Jong Un visiting Russia?

A. North Korean foreign minister Choe Son Hui is currently visiting Russia at the invitation of the Russian foreign minister. According to Russian media reports, Choe met with President Putin on July 19. At this point, however, nothing further has been made public regarding the issue you have raised. The Ministry will continue to closely monitor developments.

Q. Will tomorrow's luncheon with Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik include discussions about the Pope's planned visit to Korea next year?

A. I am not in a position to confirm the agenda for the luncheon at this point. However, more information should become available through the opening remarks.

Q. Could you share the Ministry's overall assessment of Wang Huning's visit to North Korea?

A. The Chinese Communist Party and government delegation concluded its July 15-17 visit to the North, which commemorated the 65th anniversary of the DPRK-China Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance. During the visit, the delegation met with president of state affairs Kim Jong Un, held talks with party secretary Jo Yong Won, attended a commemorative reception, and toured the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area.

North Korea and China, by exchanging high-level delegations to mark the 65th anniversary of the DPRK-China friendship treaty, reaffirmed the understandings reached at their June summit and underscored their commitment to advancing their strategic relationship and expanding exchanges and cooperation across various fields, thereby demonstrating the close alignment between the two sides.

Q. In a span of just over a week, North Korea sent its premier and foreign minister to meet with the leaders of China and Russia. How does the Ministry assess the North's rapid series of high-level engagements?

A. The North's increasingly close ties with both China and Russia have been an ongoing development. The Ministry will closely monitor the situation.