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Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan Concludes Working Visit to North Korea
Vivian Balakrishnan met North Korean officials to discuss deeper cooperation and regional issues, as Singapore and the DPRK marked 50 years of diplomatic ties in 2025.
On Tuesday, Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan held talks with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui in Pyongyang, marking the first visit by a Singaporean foreign minister to North Korea in eight years.
Singapore and North Korea commemorated 50 years of diplomatic relations in 2025, with Singapore maintaining cordial ties since hosting President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's first summit in 2018.
Vice Foreign Minister Pak Sang-gil and North Korea's ambassador to Singapore Ro Kil-song greeted Balakrishnan at Pyongyang International Airport, while the foreign ministry hosted a welcoming dinner for the Singaporean delegation.
During meetings with Jo Yong Won, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme Peoples Assembly, officials recounted Kim Jong-un's 2018 visit to Singapore and discussed maintaining dialogue amid global uncertainty.
The five-day Northeast Asia tour continues to Seoul on Thursday, with Singapore's relationship with North Korea characterized as friendly and built on mutual respect spanning decades of engagement.