Kim Jong Un’s Top Aide Jo Yong-won Visits Russia Ahead of Trump-Xi-Putin Summit
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s closest aide, Jo Yong-won, arrived in Moscow on Saturday, 14 November, leading a high-level party and government delegation, just days before the leaders of the United States, China and Russia are due to meet in Shenzhen. The trip, reported by North Korea’s state media on Sunday, 15 November, has fuelled speculation in Seoul that Pyongyang is positioning itself ahead of a summit from which it is excluded.
Jo, a secretary of the Central Committee of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party, flew to Moscow by private plane at the invitation of Dmitry Medvedev, chairman of Russia’s ruling United Russia party. The timing is striking: the visit lands four days before Donald Trump, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin hold their first three-way meeting on Thursday, 19 November, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Visitor | Jo Yong-won, secretary of the Central Committee of North Korea’s Workers’ Party |
| Arrival | Moscow, Saturday 14 November 2026, by private plane |
| Host invitation | Dmitry Medvedev, chairman of Russia’s United Russia party |
| Delegation | North Korean party and government delegation |
| Summit ahead | Trump, Xi and Putin meet Thursday 19 November, APEC sidelines, Shenzhen |
| APEC leaders’ meeting | 18–19 November 2026, 21 economies, Shenzhen, China |
| Main agenda | Nuclear-arms reduction; the Iran war; no Ukraine discussion expected |
| South Korea’s concern | Fears of being sidelined while North Korea’s nuclear status is discussed |
A Moscow Trip Timed to the Shenzhen Summit
The Korean Central News Agency announced the visit on Sunday, saying Jo’s delegation had arrived in Moscow the previous day. He was greeted at the airport by Andrei Klimov, a member of United Russia’s Supreme Council and first vice-chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the State Duma, and by North Korea’s ambassador to Moscow, Sin Hong-chol.
KCNA did not disclose the delegation’s itinerary or how long it will stay. Japan’s Kyodo News reported on Saturday that the trip was expected to reaffirm the two countries’ commitment to strengthening bilateral ties through talks with Medvedev. Experts cited by the Korea Herald suggest Jo could be carrying a personal message from Kim to Putin ahead of the trilateral meeting.
The visit comes at what KCNA described as a time when the “militant friendship” and alliance between North Korea and Russia are being “further cemented with each passing day”. The two countries have drawn closer since North Korea deployed troops to support Russia’s war against Ukraine, a deployment that has alarmed Western capitals and Seoul alike.
Who Is Jo Yong-won — and Why His Travel Matters
Jo Yong-won is widely regarded as one of the officials closest to Kim Jong-un, and his movements are read in Seoul and Washington as a signal of the North Korean leader’s intentions. He accompanied Kim on a day trip to China via the new Yalu River Bridge on 24 October, underlining his place in Kim’s inner circle.
That proximity is why this trip is being watched so closely. A senior party delegation travelling to Moscow days before three nuclear-armed leaders meet without North Korea at the table is unlikely to be routine. Speculation that Kim himself could visit Moscow this year surfaced when North Korea’s foreign minister made a surprise visit to Russia in July, though no such trip has been confirmed.
Seoul’s Fear of Being Left Out of the Room
In Seoul, the concern is direct: if Trump, Xi and Putin discuss North Korea’s nuclear programme in Shenzhen, South Korea will not be in the room. The Korea Herald reported growing fears in the South Korean capital of being sidelined from discussions affecting its own security, and of Pyongyang using the moment to seek recognition of its nuclear status.
That anxiety has a concrete basis. The last nuclear arms pact between Russia and the United States expired in February, removing caps on the world’s two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than half a century. Any conversation about new limits now involves the three leaders in Shenzhen — and, by extension, the country whose arsenal is not on the formal agenda but shapes the region’s security.
What the Trilateral Meeting Could — and Could Not — Decide
The White House confirmed the three-way meeting on Friday, 13 November. Trump will raise nuclear-arms reduction, White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told reporters, adding that the president believes the proliferation of nuclear weapons “is very dangerous”. The meeting takes place on Thursday, 19 November, on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen.
Expectations are deliberately low. A senior Trump administration official told Reuters: “We do not expect to get to any kind of agreement,” describing the meeting as the start of a conversation. Trump also plans to discuss the war in Iran with Xi and Putin, but will steer away from discussing Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to a senior US official who briefed reporters.
Trump leaves Washington on Monday, 16 November, for a four-day trip to Asia that also includes a stop in the Philippines for the ASEAN summit before he heads to Shenzhen. He will hold a bilateral working lunch with Xi on Thursday — their fourth meeting since his return to power — but is not scheduled for a separate one-on-one with Putin, and no meeting with Kim Jong-un is planned.
FAQs
Who is Jo Yong-won? Jo Yong-won is a secretary of the Central Committee of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party and is widely regarded as one of Kim Jong-un’s closest aides. He accompanied Kim on a day trip to China on 24 October 2026.
Why did Jo Yong-won visit Russia now? He arrived in Moscow on 14 November at the invitation of Dmitry Medvedev, days before the Trump-Xi-Putin meeting in Shenzhen. The visit is expected to reaffirm North Korea-Russia ties, and experts suggest he may carry a personal message from Kim to Putin.
When do Trump, Xi and Putin meet? The three leaders meet on Thursday, 19 November 2026, on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China. The APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting runs on 18–19 November.
What will the three leaders discuss? Nuclear-arms reduction is the headline topic, alongside the war in Iran. A senior US official said no agreement is expected, calling the meeting the start of a conversation. Ukraine is not expected to be discussed.
Why is South Korea concerned? Seoul fears being sidelined from talks that could touch on North Korea’s nuclear programme, and worries Pyongyang could use the moment to seek recognition of its nuclear status.
Myth-busting: No, Jo Yong-won’s visit does not mean Kim Jong-un will attend the Shenzhen summit. No meeting between Trump and Kim is scheduled, and KCNA disclosed no itinerary for Jo’s delegation beyond the Moscow arrival.
