Vivian Balakrishnan visits North Korea for the first time since 2018

Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan is visiting the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), also known as North Korea, from May 26 to 27, marking his first visit to Pyongyang since 2018.

Dr Balakrishnan posted an Instagram Reel on Wednesday (May 27), sharing that he called on Jo Yong-won, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK.

"We recalled President of the State Affairs Kim Jong-un’s historic visit to Singapore for the first US-DPRK Summit in 2018, which underscored the importance of dialogue, diplomacy, and engagement, even amidst difficult circumstances," he wrote. 

"Chairman Jo also provided an update on political developments in the DPRK."

According to North Korean state news agency KCNA, Dr Balakrishnan also met with the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs Choe Son-hui on May 26.

He wrote about the meeting: "We had a candid and wide-ranging exchange of views on regional security and international developments. 

"I expressed my hope that our countries would continue to do our part to support peace and stability amid the challenging developments in the region."

@asiaone Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan met with his North Korean counterpart Choe Son-hui and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly Jo Yong-won. #sgnews #Singapore #NorthKorea #ForeignPolicy ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

Dr Balakrishnan stated that he encouraged Choe to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum, and reiterated that North Korea "remains an important member of the ARF (Asian Regional Forum), especially at a time when dialogue and diplomacy are needed more than ever".

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) shared in a statement that Choe had hosted a welcome banquet for Dr Balakrishnan.

"The Ministers reaffirmed the longstanding cordial and friendly relations between Singapore and the DPRK. Both sides marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2025," the statement read, ties which Dr Balakrishnan called "friendly, built on mutual respect, and continued engagement over the decades".

The MFA added that Dr Balakrishnan "encouraged the DPRK to engage constructively with the region and keep channels open for dialogue".

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/DY1oW9Tjh_K/[/embed]

Working visit to China, North Korea and South Korea

Balakrishnan's trip to North Korea folllowed a visit to Beijing from May 24 to 26, where he was hosted to lunch by his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.

According to a statement by the MFA, they affirmed their cooperation under the All-Round High-Quality Future-Oriented Partnership.

"They agreed on the importance of maintaining regular high-level exchanges and strengthening bilateral cooperation in emerging areas, including the green and digital economies and supply chain resilience," it read.

Other matters the two ministers discussed include China's continuing relations with ASEAN, the need for a ceasefire in the Middle East and to uphold international law in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as cross-straits relationships including Singapore's support of the One China policy.

Dr Balakrishnan also met Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

@asiaone Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi met in Beijing on Monday (May 25). #sgnews #Singapore #China #Trade #Shipping #MiddleEast ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

He will next visit South Korea.

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