N. Korea's top envoys to China, UN arrive in Beijing     DATE: 2024-10-10 22:08:11

North Korea's ambassadors to China and the United Nations arrived in Beijing on Saturday, five days after they returned to Pyongyang.

North Korean Ambassador to China Ji Jae-ryong and Ambassador to the U.N. Kim Song were seen at Beijing Capital International Airport earlier in the day after boarding an Air Koryo flight from Pyongyang.

Their visit to Pyongyang could have been aimed at attending an annual meeting of the North's overseas diplomatic mission chiefs, a source said. But the North could have used the opportunity to brainstorm ideas about its negotiating strategy with the United States.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump met in Hanoi in late February for their second summit but failed to reach a nuclear deal as they were miles apart on how to match Pyongyang's denuclearization steps with sanctions relief from Washington.

Washington has been calling for tightened sanctions against Pyongyang ever since, demanding more tangible denuclearization steps. (Yonhap)