Vladivostok: South Korea's ambassador to Russia, Lee Sok-bae, will participate in the annual Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok this week, as confirmed by a foreign ministry official on Monday. Lee, who assumed his diplomatic role in November, is set to attend the international event scheduled from Tuesday to Friday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the ambassadorial role was notably unfilled during last year's forum, but Lee has received an invitation to be present at this year's edition. The forum is garnering increased attention due to speculation surrounding a potential meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which might occur on the sidelines of the event.

Earlier, South Korea's unification ministry announced that it has no plans to participate in the forum this year. While discussing the possibility of Kim Jong-un's attendance, the ministry revealed it lacks any information on the matter but will continue to monitor developments closely.

Historically, the unification ministry has been involved in the forum, with former Unification Minister Lee In-young participating virtually in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, officials at the director general level have attended in previous years. North Korea has also been represented at the forum in the past, with figures such as the vice premier or external economic minister participating. Notably, Pyongyang's ambassador to Russia, Sin Hong-chol, attended the forum in 2022.