S. Korea not to attend Russia's economic forum this week

South Korea has announced it will not attend this week's Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, according to the unification ministry. The forum, which runs from Tuesday to Friday, has drawn attention due to speculation that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un might attend on the sidelines of a potential summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

However, Yoon Min-ho, a spokesperson for the ministry, stated that the decision not to participate is final and that the ministry has no information regarding Kim's attendance. The possibility of South Korea's participation was raised earlier this month by Unification Minister Chung Dong-young as part of broader efforts to engage with Pyongyang.

South Korea has previously attended the forum, with then Unification Minister Lee In-young participating online in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and director general-level officials joining on other occasions. North Korea has also sent its vice premier or external economic minister to the forum in the past, with Ambassador to Russia Sin Hong-chol representing Pyongyang in 2022.

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