N. Korea reports on Swiss FM's visit following opening of diplomatic office

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui met Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in Pyongyang earlier this week to discuss dialogue and cooperation between the two countries. Cassis was on a two-day visit following Switzerland’s opening of its first diplomatic office in North Korea. He also met senior Workers’ Party official Jo Yong-won before traveling to Seoul, where he shared details of his North Korea discussions with South Korean officials.

The Korean Central News Agency said the ministers exchanged views on the international situation of common concern and that their talks proceeded in a friendly atmosphere.

North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Jong Tong-hak and Jo Chol-su, North Korea’s top envoy to Switzerland, attended the talks.

In Seoul, Cassis met National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac and Vice Foreign Minister Jeong Yeon-doo, who is responsible for North Korea affairs.

Switzerland and North Korea established diplomatic ties in 1974, and Switzerland operated a humanitarian cooperation office in Pyongyang from 1997 until it closed in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Switzerland is a member of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, which oversees enforcement of the Armistice Agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.

Published Oct 31, 2026 10:07 am KST

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, fifth from right, holds talks with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, fourth from left, in Pyongyang, Friday, in this photo released by the North's state media the following day. Yonhap

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui met one-on-one with her Swiss counterpart visiting Pyongyang earlier this week and discussed promoting dialogue and cooperation, the North's state media reported Saturday.

Choe held the talks with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, who was on a two-day trip since Friday following Switzerland's recent opening of its first diplomatic office in Pyongyang.

The two sides discussed "the issue of promoting dialogue and cooperation between the diplomatic fields of the two countries and exchanged the appraisal and views of the international situation of common concern," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

"The talks proceeded in a friendly atmosphere," the news outlet said, without elaborating.

Also attending the talks from the North's side were Jong Tong-hak, the North's vice foreign minister, and Jo Chol-su, North Korea's top envoy to Switzerland, among other officials.

In a separate dispatch, the KCNA reported that Cassis paid a courtesy call on Jo Yong-won, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, on the same day. Jo is considered a close aide to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Cassis's trip to Pyongyang was followed by his visit to Seoul on Friday.

Seoul's foreign ministry said Cassis met with National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac and separately with Jeong Yeon-doo, vice foreign minister responsible for North Korea affairs, to share details of his discussions in North Korea.

Switzerland is a member of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, an independent body established to oversee the enforcement of the Armistice Agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.

Switzerland established diplomatic ties with North Korea in 1974, but rather than a formal mission, it operated a humanitarian cooperation office in Pyongyang from 1997 until shutting it down in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The opening of the diplomatic office in Pyongyang marks Switzerland's first political and diplomatic presence in North Korea.

本周早些时候，朝鲜外相崔善姬在平壤会见了瑞士外长伊格纳齐奥·卡西斯，双方就两国对话与合作进行了讨论。卡西斯此次对朝鲜进行为期两天的访问，正值瑞士在朝鲜开设首个外交机构之际。在前往首尔之前，他还与朝鲜劳动党高级官员赵容元会面。在首尔，他与韩国官员分享了此次朝鲜问题会谈的详情。

朝鲜中央通讯社称，部长们就共同关心的国际形势交换了意见，会谈在友好气氛中进行。

朝鲜外务省副相郑东学和朝鲜驻瑞士最高代表赵哲洙出席了会谈。

在首尔，卡西斯会见了国家安全顾问魏成乐和负责朝鲜事务的外交部副部长郑延斗。

瑞士和朝鲜于 1974 年建立外交关系，瑞士从 1997 年起在平壤设立人道主义合作办事处，直到 2020 年因 COVID-19 疫情而关闭。

瑞士是中立国监督委员会的成员，该委员会负责监督结束 1950-53 年朝鲜战争的停战协定的执行情况。

发布于2026年10月31日上午10:07（韩国标准时间）

这张照片由朝鲜官方媒体于次日发布，照片中朝鲜外相崔善姬（右五）与瑞士外长伊格纳齐奥·卡西斯（左四）于周五在平壤举行会谈。（韩联社）

据朝鲜官方媒体周六报道，朝鲜外相崔善姬本周早些时候与访问平壤的瑞士外长举行了一对一会晤，讨论了促进对话与合作的问题。

崔顺实与瑞士外交部长伊格纳齐奥·卡西斯举行了会谈。卡西斯自上周五起对朝鲜进行了为期两天的访问，此前瑞士在平壤开设了第一个外交办事处。

据朝中社报道，双方讨论了“促进两国外交领域对话与合作的问题，并就共同关心的国际形势交换了评价和看法”。

该新闻媒体称，“会谈在友好气氛中进行”，但未作详细说明。

出席会谈的还有朝鲜方面副外相郑东学、朝鲜驻瑞士最高代表赵哲洙等官员。

据朝中社另一篇报道，卡西斯当天还礼节性拜访了朝鲜劳动党中央委员会书记赵容元。赵容元被认为是朝鲜领导人金正恩的亲信。

卡西斯结束平壤之行后，于周五访问了首尔。

首尔外交部表示，卡西斯分别会见了国家安全顾问魏成乐和负责朝鲜事务的外交部副部长郑延斗，分享了他在朝鲜的会谈细节。

瑞士是中立国监督委员会的成员，该委员会是一个独立机构，旨在监督结束 1950-53 年朝鲜战争的停战协定的执行情况。

瑞士于 1974 年与朝鲜建立了外交关系，但并未设立正式使团，而是从 1997 年起在平壤设立了人道主义合作办公室，直到 2020 年因 COVID-19 疫情而关闭。

瑞士在平壤设立外交机构，标志着瑞士首次在朝鲜建立政治和外交存在。