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| North Korean leader Kim Jong-un smiles with a cigarette in his right hand during an inspection of a tree nursery in Pyongyang in this TV footage aired by the Korean Central News Agency, Tuesday. Choe Ryong-hae, a secretary of the North Korean Workers' Party, looks on from behind. / Yonhap |
By Shim Jae-yun
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un plans to send Choe Ryong-hae, a secretary of the North's Workers' Party, to Russia as his special envoy, Pyongyang's state media reported Friday.
The Korean Central News Agency said Choe will visit Moscow "in the near future" but stopped short of specifying the exact timing of the trip.
Pyongyang's move comes as North Korea has tried repeatedly to reach out to Russia. The two nations have recently been promoting mutual cooperation through exchanges of high-ranking officials.
Gen. Hyun Young-chol, the North's defense minister, visited Moscow on Nov. 8 to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Choe is also expected to meet the Russian President as he is making his tour in the capacity of Kim's special envoy.
Sources said the visit will likely take place next week as Putin is set to attend the two-day G20 summit to be held in Brisbane, Australia from today. They raised the possibility that Choe will discuss a possible visit by Kim to Russia.
Choe has been cited as the reclusive state's No. 2 man, with the North Korean media calling his name ahead of Hwang Byung-suh, general director of politics, who had been regarded as second most powerful figure after Kim.
Choe visited China in May last year and met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, again as Kim's special envoy.
Relations between China and North Korea have soured of late. The North is facing growing international pressure in relation to its alleged human rights violations. The United Nations is pushing to bring the North and its leader Kim to the International Criminal Court, seeking to adopt a resolution soon.
In response, North Korea has engaged in brisk diplomatic activities in bids to win over nations to support its stance on human rights concerns.
It sent Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong to the U.N. and Kang Sok-ju, another secretary of the Workers' Party, to the European Union to woo support from relevant countries.
Russia has been sympathetic to North Korea's position regarding security and human rights issues.
In a reconciliatory gesture, Pyongyang released American detainees Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller early this month.
