N. Korea's vice FM leaves for New York to attend UN General Assembly

The Vice Foreign Minister of North Korea, Kim Son-gyong, has journeyed to New York to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, according to state media reports on Wednesday. Kim's delegation set out from Pyongyang on Tuesday, though the KCNA did not provide specifics on his schedule. Kim is scheduled to speak on Monday, the final day of the General Debate, an annual high-level UN gathering where member states articulate their views on significant global issues.

Last year, Kim reiterated North Korea's commitment to maintaining its nuclear weapons during his address. Following the unsuccessful 2019 Hanoi summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump, Pyongyang did not dispatch any minister-level officials for six years. Ambassador Kim Song typically represented North Korea at the UN, filling in for the Vice Foreign Minister.

This year, former North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong represented the country from 2014 to 2015, while his successor, Ri Yong-ho, did so from 2016 to 2018.