S. Korea yet to decide attendance at int'l economic forum in Russia: ministry

Seoul has yet to determine whether it will participate in an international economic forum set to take place in Russia starting September 1st. The annual Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok has drawn attention to the possibility of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attending for a potential summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Government agencies are currently consulting on the matter, with a ministry official stating that a decision has not been made. If Seoul does attend, they may require close communication with Russia to discuss peace on the Korean Peninsula. No signs have emerged of Kim's potential attendance at the forum. The unification ministry believes that South Korea's participation could provide an opportunity to promote communication with Russia in pursuit of peace on the peninsula, although others argue it is inappropriate for Seoul to officially attend given Russia's ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

In 2021, then-Unification Minister Lee In-young attended the forum online during the COVID-19 pandemic, and director general-level officials have also attended on other occasions. North Korea has historically sent its vice premier or external economic minister to the Russia forum, with North Korean Ambassador to Russia Sin Hong-chol attending in 2022. Since 2023, however, North Korea has not disclosed whether it participated in the event.