North Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son‑gyong departed for New York to attend the 81st UN General Assembly and will speak on the closing day of the General Debate.
North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son‑gyong left Pyongyang on Tuesday for New York to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, according to state media. He is scheduled to take the floor on Monday, the closing day of the General Debate, where member states outline positions on major international issues. In the previous year’s session, he used his address to reaffirm Pyongyang’s commitment to retain its nuclear weapons. The trip marks the first time in six years that a minister‑level official has been sent to the assembly; since the failed 2019 Hanoi summit, North Korea’s ambassador to the UN, Kim Song, represented the country. Former foreign ministers Ri Su‑yong (2014‑2015) and Ri Yong‑ho (2016‑2018) had attended earlier sessions. The Korean Central News Agency did not disclose details of Kim Son‑gyong’s itinerary, and the available reporting provides limited additional information.