"Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun will visit Moscow for the 16th round of political consultations between the Republic of Korea and Russia with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister on Asia and the Pacific Igor Morgulov that will take place on July 8, as well as for holding the 10th meeting on the Russian-South Korean Far East and Siberia matters subcommittee on July 7 with First Deputy Far East Development Minister Alexander Osipov," the ministry said in a statement.
The deputy ministers will discuss collaboration on the Korean peninsula situation with regard to the North Korean nuclear program, the statement added, noting that agricultural and healthcare issues will also be dealt with.
Tensions over North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs escalated after Pyongyang said on January 6 that it had successfully carried out a hydrogen bomb test and put a satellite into orbit on February 7. The moves violated UN Security Council resolutions, prompting the United Nations to impose new sanctions on the North.
On June 22, North Korea claimed it had successfully tested a missile that traveled about 250 miles before dropping into the Sea of Japan. US and South Korean officials said two missiles were fired and that one missile failed.
