North Korea's new foreign minister arrived in Myanmar on Saturday to join Asia's biggest security forum that brings together his counterparts from the five other nations involved in the long-stalled talks on ending the North's nuclear ambitions.
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong, who became the North's top diplomat in April, landed in the capital of Myanmar for the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which will be held on Sunday.
The ARF forum has been regarded as an important venue for discussion on North Korea as it involves all member countries of the six-party talks that are aimed at denuclearizing Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program.
Upon arrival at the airport and later at his hotel, Ri and his delegation did not take questions from reporters.
This year's forum comes amid an array of North Korea's short-range missile and rocket launches, and its threat to conduct a fourth nuclear test.
North Korea has beefed up its provocative acts by firing-off missiles and rockets, snubbing the United Nations Security Council's condemnation that such moves are in violation of U.N. resolutions.
The North's threat of another nuclear test has raised geopolitical risks in Northeast Asia. Pyongyang has claimed that the nuke test is aimed at defending its country to counter what it calls the United States' hostile policy toward it.
South Korea seeks to drum up support at the ARF forum for ending the communist country's spate of provocations, according to officials from Seoul's foreign ministry.
Also of media interest is whether Ri will have talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on the sidelines, observers said.
China, the North's long-time ally, is seen as being upset with Pyongyang following the North's nuclear test in February 2013. (Yonhap)
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong, who became the North's top diplomat in April, landed in the capital of Myanmar for the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which will be held on Sunday.
The ARF forum has been regarded as an important venue for discussion on North Korea as it involves all member countries of the six-party talks that are aimed at denuclearizing Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program.
Upon arrival at the airport and later at his hotel, Ri and his delegation did not take questions from reporters.
This year's forum comes amid an array of North Korea's short-range missile and rocket launches, and its threat to conduct a fourth nuclear test.
North Korea has beefed up its provocative acts by firing-off missiles and rockets, snubbing the United Nations Security Council's condemnation that such moves are in violation of U.N. resolutions.
The North's threat of another nuclear test has raised geopolitical risks in Northeast Asia. Pyongyang has claimed that the nuke test is aimed at defending its country to counter what it calls the United States' hostile policy toward it.
South Korea seeks to drum up support at the ARF forum for ending the communist country's spate of provocations, according to officials from Seoul's foreign ministry.
Also of media interest is whether Ri will have talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on the sidelines, observers said.
China, the North's long-time ally, is seen as being upset with Pyongyang following the North's nuclear test in February 2013. (Yonhap)
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