{
  "id": 9232322,
  "title": "N. Korea's vice defense minister departs for Vietnam amid deepening ties",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/n-koreas-vice-defense-minister-departs-for-vietnam-amid-deepening-ties-9232322",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-23T01:02:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/foreignaffairs/northkorea/20260923/n-koreas-vice-defense-minister-departs-for-vietnam-amid-deepening-ties"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "North Korean Vice Defense Minister Ryo Chol-ung has traveled to Vietnam, according to state media, as the two nations deepen their cooperation. The delegation, headed by Ryo, departed Pyongyang the day before, accompanied by defense ministry officials, Vietnam's ambassador to North Korea, and the embassy's defense attache. The purpose and itinerary of the visit remain undisclosed. This move comes as Pyongyang and Hanoi have been working to strengthen bilateral relations. Earlier this month, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed his dedication to enhancing mutual ties in a letter to President To Lam, marking Vietnam's 81st founding anniversary. The two countries have been steadily closer since their October summit, with Vietnamese President To Lam's visit to North Korea marking the first by a top Vietnamese leader in 18 years. In May, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung visited North Korea for talks with his counterpart, Choe Son-hui, followed by security ministers' discussions in Pyongyang.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "N. Korea's vice FM leaves for New York to attend U.N. General Assembly",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/n-koreas-vice-fm-leaves-for-new-york-to-attend-u-n-general-assembly",
        "published": "2026-09-22T23:13:33.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "N. Korea's vice defense minister departs for Vietnam amid deepening ties",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/n-koreas-vice-defense-minister-departs-for-vietnam-amid-deepening-ties-9228505",
        "published": "2026-09-23T00:37:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}