Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Foreign Minister, will visit North Korea on Friday. As Wang's visit comes ahead of the US-China summit scheduled for May, analysts suggest it is aimed at prior coordination on Korean Peninsula issues.
North Korea's Korean Central News Agency reported Thursday that Wang will visit North Korea from Friday to Saturday at the invitation of the North Korean Foreign Ministry. This marks Wang's first visit to North Korea in approximately six years and eight months since September 2019. During his visit, Wang is expected to meet with Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un.
North Korea did not disclose the specific purpose of Wang's visit, but analysts suggest it is intended for prior coordination on Korean Peninsula issues ahead of the summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Additionally, there is speculation that the two sides may use this visit to pursue a meeting between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Wang's visit may also serve as an opportunity to arrange a meeting between Chairman Kim and President Xi. North Korea and China have shown signs of improving relations since Kim attended China's 80th anniversary military parade commemorating victory in World War II last September.
Meanwhile, North Korea continued its military displays by launching ballistic missiles three times over two days starting Wednesday. The National Security Office convened an emergency security situation review meeting with relevant agencies including the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to assess the impact of the launches on South Korea's security and review necessary measures. The office also urged North Korea to immediately halt its ballistic missile launches, calling them provocative acts that violate UN Security Council resolutions.
North Korea's provocations occurred over two consecutive days starting the day after Kim Yo-jong, deputy department director of the Workers' Party, described President Yoon's expression of regret over the "anti-North Korea drone incursion incident" as "the attitude of a frank and bold person."