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| ▲ North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L) shakes hands with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (C) during their meeting in Wonsan, North Korea, on July 12, 2025, in this photo provided by the Russian foreign ministry on Telegram. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) Russian FM-NK leader
(LEAD) Russian FM meets Kim Jong-un during visit to N. Korea
(ATTN: UPDATES with info in paras 4-6)
SEOUL, July 12 (Yonhap) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Saturday during his visit to North Korea, Moscow's foreign ministry said.
In a Telegram post, the ministry released a photo of Kim smiling while holding Lavrov's hand with both hands. In a separate post of a video that shows Kim greeting Lavrov with a hug, the ministry said Lavrov was "received" by the North Korean leader.
The ministry indicated their meeting took place in the coastal resort city of Wonsan.
Lavrov conveyed a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin, reaffirming his commitment to all previous agreements and expressing hope for continued direct contact with Kim in the near future, the ministry said.
According to their conversation published on its website, the ministry quoted Kim as saying, "I thought it would be best to meet with you here in Wonsan rather than in Pyongyang, because this is a good place to take a rest."
He also said Lavrov was the "first foreign guest" to visit since a tourist zone opened earlier this month.
Earlier in the day, Lavrov met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui in Wonsan for the second round of strategic talks between the two countries, after he arrived in the city the previous day.
Lavrov's trip to the North will last until Sunday, when he is set to fly to China to attend a foreign ministerial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states.
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