Why did South Korea decide not to attend the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok this week?

The unification ministry confirmed the decision during a regular briefing and said it would not participate in the annual forum. The ministry also said it had no information on speculation that Kim Jong-un might travel to Russia for a possible summit with Vladimir Putin.

What did Chung Dong-young say about South Korea attending the Eastern Economic Forum?

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young raised the possibility of Seoul attending the forum early this month. He framed it as part of broader efforts to engage with Pyongyang.

Has South Korea attended the Eastern Economic Forum before?

Yes. The article says South Korea has taken part before, including when then Unification Minister Lee In-young attended online in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Director general-level officials also joined on other occasions.

S. Korea not to attend Russia's economic forum this week

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Summary

South Korea will not attend Russia’s Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok this week, the unification ministry said Monday. The annual forum runs from Tuesday to Friday. The ministry said it has no information on speculation that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may travel to Russia for a possible summit with Vladimir Putin. Unification Minister Chung Dong-young had earlier raised the possibility of Seoul attending as part of efforts to engage with Pyongyang.

Key Facts

The Eastern Economic Forum is running from Tuesday to Friday in Vladivostok, Russia.
Unification Ministry spokesperson Yoon Min-ho confirmed that South Korea will not participate in the annual forum.
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young raised the possibility of Seoul attending early this month as part of broader efforts to engage with Pyongyang.
South Korea has previously joined the forum, including through then Unification Minister Lee In-young attending online in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Yonhap

Published Aug 31, 2026 11:43 am KST

Unification ministry Yoon Min-ho speaks during a regular press briefing at Government Complex Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

South Korea will not attend the Eastern Economic Forum opening this week in Russia's Vladivostok, the unification ministry said Monday.

During a regular briefing, ministry spokesperson Yoon Min-ho confirmed the decision not to participate in the annual international forum, running from Tuesday to Friday.

This year's edition has drawn attention amid speculation that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could travel to Russia for a possible summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines.

Asked about the chances of Kim's attendance, Yoon said the ministry has no information on the matter but will keep monitoring the situation.

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young raised the possibility of Seoul attending the forum early this month, as part of broader efforts to engage with Pyongyang.

South Korea has taken part before, with then Unification Minister Lee In-young attending online in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and director general-level officials also joining on other occasions.

North Korea, for its part, has previously sent its vice premier or external economic minister to the forum. Ambassador to Russia Sin Hong-chol represented Pyongyang in 2022.

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