After wrapping up her four-day trip to Moscow, Choe arrived in Pyongyang the previous day and was greeted by Vladimir Topekha, charge d'affaires ad interim of the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang, according to North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
During the trip, Choe held talks with her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin.
The two sides reportedly agreed to further strengthen bilateral cooperation amid their deepening military ties in recent years, with discussions covering high-level exchanges and broader cooperation on international affairs.
Choe's visit drew attention as it came without any major scheduled diplomatic events or anniversaries, prompting speculation that the trip could have included preparations for a possible visit to Russia by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Putin invited Kim to Moscow for talks when the two leaders met in Pyongyang in June 2024.
Pundits have been closely watching growing ties between Pyongyang and Moscow as the two countries seek to deepen cooperation amid international isolation. Choe's latest trip is seen as another step toward strengthening their partnership, with attention now focused on whether it could lead to further talks between Kim and Putin.
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