A high-level North Korean economic delegation was on its way to Iran, according to North Korean state media on Wednesday, in what would be the first known talks between the two countries since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has embraced the idea of a “new cold war” and pressures to promote cooperation between countries opposed to the United States, while their weapons tests led the United States and South Korea to expand their military maneuvers.
The Pyongyang delegation led by Yun Jung Ho, minister of external economic relations, left for Iran on Tuesday, according to the Korean Central News Agency, an official media outlet. State media did not initially provide further details.
Pyongyang and Tehran are among the few governments in the world to support Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, and both have been accused of providing military equipment to Russia.
The last time North Korea sent high-level officials to Iran was in August 2019, when a group led by Pak Chol Min, vice president of parliament, a ceremonial body, made a week-long visit. The two countries maintained diplomatic exchanges until North Korea sealed its borders in an effort to keep out the pandemic, before a cautious reopening in 2023.
South Korea's Unification Ministry, which manages affairs related to the North, had no immediate comment on Yun's visit to Iran.
In recent months, North Korea has emphasized its ties with Russia and China within Kim's efforts to emerge from diplomatic isolation and join a united front against Washington.
