A top official from North Korea’s legislative body held talks with Vietnam’s Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung in Pyongyang this week. Jo Yong-won, chairman of the standing committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly, met Trung during his visit as a special envoy of Vietnamese President To Lam. The discussions, which also involved North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Pak Sang-gil and Vietnamese Ambassador to North Korea Le Ba Vinh, were described as taking place in a “friendly atmosphere.”
Jo Yong-won is a close aide to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and holds significant influence in Pyongyang, according to reports. Trung’s visit to Pyongyang included a meeting with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui. The visit signifies improved relations between the two nations following a summit between Lam and Kim in Pyongyang last October, marking the first visit by a top Vietnamese leader to North Korea in nearly two decades.
In a show of camaraderie, a celebratory event commemorating the recent party congresses of both North Korea and Vietnam was organized in Pyongyang. The event, a photography exhibition hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy, showcased videos, photos, and archival materials highlighting the historical friendship and cooperation between the leaders of the two countries. The exhibition was attended by high-ranking officials from both nations, including Pak Sang-gil, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung, and Vietnamese Ambassador to Pyongyang Le Ba Vinh.
North Korea’s Workers’ Party of Korea held its ninth congress in February, while Vietnam convened the 14th national congress of the Communist Party in January.
