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

The South Korean unification ministry has announced that Seoul will not participate in the Eastern Economic Forum, which opens this week in Russia's Vladivostok. Ministry spokesperson Yoon Min-ho confirmed the decision during a routine briefing, stating that the forum will run from Tuesday to Friday. This year's forum has garnered attention as speculation grows that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un might travel to Russia for a potential summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin outside of the official events.

When asked about the likelihood of Kim's attendance, Yoon could not provide any information, but assured that the ministry will continue to monitor the situation closely. Earlier this month, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young had suggested that Seoul might attend the forum, as part of ongoing efforts to engage with Pyongyang.

South Korea has previously participated in the event, with former Unification Minister Lee In-young attending virtually in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and director general-level officials joining on other occasions.

On the other hand, North Korea has sent its vice premier or external economic minister to the forum in the past.