SEOUL
North Korea's second most powerful official is set to visit Russia on behalf of leader Kim Jong-un for a World War II anniversary commemoration later this week, according to state media Monday.
The Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim Yong-nam, chairman of the presidium of the country’s Supreme People's Assembly, "will pay a visit to Russia to take part in the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War to be held in Moscow."
According to South Korean new agency Yonhap, there were no additional details about Kim Yong-nam's trip.
The announcement comes days after the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Kim Jong-un would not attend due to "internal matters."
The North’s leader had been invited by Moscow to attend the May 9 ceremony, celebrating 70 years since the former Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany, alongside key regional leaders including China’s Xi Jinping and Japan’s Shinzo Abe.
While heavily sanctioned over its nuclear ambitions, North Korea does maintain close ties with both China and Russia.
Moscow is seen as a key intermediary between the two Koreas, who remain technically at war as they did not sign a peace treaty after the 1950-53 conflict.
Last month, the South’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said President Park Geun-hye would not attend the ceremony but would send a presidential envoy.
Unlike the widely travelled Park, Kim Jong-un has not been abroad since he inherited power upon the death of his father in 2011.
Talks over an official meeting between the Koreas’ leaders have failed to get off the ground since both expressed willingness in their respective New Year’s addresses to repeat the breakthrough inter-Korean summits of 2000 and 2007.
