North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui’s participation in the 97th United Nations General Assembly in New York later this month remains uncertain.
According to a report by News1 on Thursday, no preparations have been observed yet in Beijing, China, where Choe would be expected to make a stopover en route to the U.S. The North Korean Embassy in Beijing has not received any official instructions from Pyongyang concerning Choe’s attendance.
Previously, the North Korea-focused media outlet NK News reported that North Korea might send a delegation from Pyongyang to this UN General Assembly, and Choe might accompany them. If she does attend, it would mark her first appearance at the UN as North Korea’s foreign minister in six years. Her participation could involve addressing the General Debate scheduled for September 24 to 30.
A source indicated that the North Korean delegation would handle logistical arrangements such as advance payments and hotel bookings if Choe traveled to New York. However, it appears that these procedures have not been finalized.
Choe’s potential attendance was also discussed during the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Laos last July, but she ultimately did not appear.
In August, Voice of America (VOA) reported, citing materials from the General Debate speaking order of the 78th UN General Assembly, that the speaker from North Korea would not be Choe but someone at the ambassadorial level.
Previous foreign ministers, including Ri Su Yong (2014-2015) and Ri Yong Ho (2016-2018), attended the Assembly, but since the collapse of denuclearization talks in 2019, Ambassador Kim Song has represented North Korea.
Whether Choe will attend is significant due to the possibility of back-channel contacts between North Korea and the U.S. ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November. If Choe visits the U.S., she might bring a significant message from the supreme leader.
Another well-informed source noted that the attendee’s list is subject to change even shortly before the event. Despite the advance schedule for the General Debate, participant changes due to other commitments are not uncommon.