Why is Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis visiting North Korea?

The Swiss government said Cassis was visiting for the official reopening of Switzerland’s diplomatic office in Pyongyang and to hold political talks with North Korean officials. It described the trip as part of Switzerland’s long-standing commitment to peace on the Korean Peninsula.

What is planned for Switzerland’s diplomatic office in Pyongyang?

The Swiss government said the office would be officially reopened during Cassis’s visit. Switzerland said its presence in Pyongyang is intended to maintain direct dialogue, including on matters of disagreement, amid heightened tensions and limited international contact.

What is Ignazio Cassis scheduled to do after his North Korea visit?

Cassis is scheduled to travel to Seoul to meet with South Korean government officials after his two-day trip to North Korea, according to the Swiss government’s announcement.

Swiss foreign minister visits N. Korea amid opening of 1st diplomatic office

Listen

Summary

Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis arrived in Pyongyang on Thursday as Switzerland reopened its diplomatic office there and planned political talks with North Korean officials. The Swiss government said the visit is part of its commitment to peace on the Korean Peninsula. Cassis was also scheduled to travel to Seoul to meet South Korean government officials.

Key Facts

North Korean state media said Cassis was greeted at the airport by foreign ministry officials and Switzerland’s ambassador to North Korea.
The Swiss government said Cassis’s two-day visit would include the office’s official reopening and political talks, but KCNA did not provide details of his itinerary or the visit’s purpose.
Switzerland and North Korea established diplomatic relations in 1974, and the new office marks Switzerland’s first political and diplomatic installation in Pyongyang since then.
Switzerland opened a humanitarian cooperation office in Pyongyang in 1997, but it closed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 30, 2026 2:46 pm KST

Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis arrives at Pyongyang International Airport in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday. AP-Yonhap

Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis has arrived in North Korea, Pyongyang's state media reported Friday, as Switzerland has opened its first diplomatic office in the North.

Cassis arrived in Pyongyang the previous day, greeted by North Korean foreign ministry officials, the North's ambassador to Switzerland and others at the airport, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The KCNA did not elaborate on other details, such as the purpose of his visit and itinerary.

The Swiss government earlier said Cassis will visit North Korea on a two-day trip from Thursday to attend the official reopening of the Swiss diplomatic office in Pyongyang and hold political talks with North Korean officials.

Cassis will then travel to Seoul to meet with South Korean government officials, the release said, noting the visit is part of "Switzerland's long-standing commitment to peace on the Korean Peninsula."

The establishment of the diplomatic office marks Switzerland's first political and diplomatic installations in Pyongyang since the two countries forged diplomatic relations in 1974.

"Against a backdrop of heightened tensions and limited international contact, Switzerland intends to continue its commitment in the region," the Swiss government said in a release. "Through its presence in Pyongyang, it aims to maintain direct dialogue, including on matters of disagreement.

Switzerland opened an office on humanitarian cooperation in Pyongyang in 1997, but it closed down in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

Explore More