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BackNorth Korean Vice Defense Minister Departs for Vietnam Amid Deepening Bilateral Ties
North Korean Vice Defense Minister Departs for Vietnam Amid Deepening Bilateral Ties
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Yonhap News56 minutes agoWorld1 min readSouth Korea

North Korean Vice Defense Minister Departs for Vietnam Amid Deepening Bilateral Ties

north koreavietnamryo chol-ung

Quick Look

North Korean Vice Defense Minister Ryo Chol-ung departed for Vietnam on Wednesday, according to state media, as Pyongyang and Hanoi deepen bilateral cooperation through recent high-level exchanges, including a letter from Kim Jong-un to President To Lam and prior visits by Vietnamese officials.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

North Korea and Vietnam have been steadily increasing bilateral engagement since October, including a summit visit by Vietnam's president, foreign minister talks in May, and security minister discussions the following month.

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SEOUL, Sept. 23 (Yonhap) -- North Korean Vice Defense Minister Ryo Chol-ung has departed for Vietnam, state media reported Wednesday, amid deepening cooperation between the two nations.

A delegation, led by Ryo, left Pyongyang the previous day, seen off by defense ministry officials, Vietnam's ambassador to North Korea and the embassy's defense attache, the Korean Central News Agency said.

The report gave no details on the delegation's itinerary or the purpose of the trip.

The visit comes as Pyongyang and Hanoi have stepped up efforts to deepen bilateral relations.

Early this month, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening mutual ties in a letter to President To Lam, marking Vietnam's 81st founding anniversary.

The two countries have been moving steadily closer since the October summit. Lam's visit at that time marked the first by a top Vietnamese leader to North Korea in 18 years.

In May, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung visited the North for talks with his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son-hui.

The following month, the two countries' security ministers held talks in Pyongyang to discuss ways to expand cooperation on public security and law enforcement.

Open Questions

  • What is the specific purpose of Vice Defense Minister Ryo Chol-ung's visit to Vietnam?
  • What topics will be discussed during the delegation's meetings in Vietnam?
  • Are any defense or economic agreements expected to result from this visit?

Related Topics

north korea
PeopleRyo Chol-ungKim Jong-unTo LamChoe Son-hui
OrganizationsKorean Central News AgencyNorth Korean Defense MinistryGovernment of Vietnam
PlacesPyongyangVietnam
Topicsvietnamryo chol-ungdefense ministrybilateral relationskim jong-unto lam
This article was originally published by Yonhap News.

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