Why is South Korea sending its ambassador to Russia’s Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok?

A foreign ministry official said Ambassador Lee Sok-bae will attend the annual forum this week after receiving an invitation. The post was vacant during last year’s event, and Lee only took office in November.

When is the Eastern Economic Forum taking place and what is drawing attention to it this year?

The forum runs from Tuesday to Friday in Vladivostok. It has attracted attention because of speculation that Kim Jong-un could travel to Russia for a possible summit with Vladimir Putin on the sidelines.

What is South Korea’s position on attending Russia’s economic forum this week?

Seoul’s unification ministry said earlier in the day that it had no plans to participate. It also said it had no information on whether Kim Jong-un would attend, but it would keep monitoring the situation.

S. Korean ambassador to Moscow to attend Russia's economic forum

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Summary

South Korea’s ambassador to Russia will attend Russia’s annual Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok from Tuesday to Friday, a foreign ministry official said Monday. Ambassador Lee Sok-bae, who took office in November, is expected to attend after receiving an invitation. The forum has drawn attention because of speculation that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could travel to Russia for a possible summit with Vladimir Putin on the sidelines.

Key Facts

Lee Sok-bae took up the ambassadorial post in November.
The Eastern Economic Forum is scheduled to run from Tuesday to Friday in Vladivostok.
The ambassadorial post was vacant during last year’s edition of the annual event.
South Korea’s unification ministry said it had no plans to take part in the forum.
North Korea has previously sent its vice premier or external economic minister to the forum, and ambassador Sin Hong-chol represented Pyongyang in 2022.

By Yonhap

Published Aug 31, 2026 11:43 am KST
Updated Aug 31, 2026 4:10 pm KST

South Korea's Ambassador to Russia Lee Sok-bae presents his credentials to Russia's President Vladimir Putin during a ceremony at the Moscow Kremlin's Alexander Hall, July 3, 2019. TASS-Yonhap

South Korea's ambassador to Russia will attend Russia's annual Eastern Economic Forum this week in Vladivostok, a foreign ministry official said Monday.

Ambassador Lee Sok-bae, who took up the post in November, will attend the international forum, running from Tuesday to Friday, according to the official.

The ambassadorial post was vacant during last year's edition of the annual event. Lee is said to have received an invitation to attend this year.

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 of the forum.

Earlier in the day, Seoul's unification ministry said it had no plans to take part in the forum.

On the chances of Kim's attendance, the unification ministry said it had no information on the matter but will keep monitoring the situation.

The unification ministry has taken part in the forum before, with then Unification Minister Lee In-young attending virtually 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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