North Korean foreign minister Ri Son Gwon met with Russian ambassador Alexander Matsegora in Pyongyang on Tuesday, the Russian embassy said, in what represents the top DPRK diplomat’s first such public meeting in months.

Ri had made other appearances in Pyongyang recently, but had not been seen meeting with foreign diplomats since the DPRK went into partial lockdown in late January to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

He attended a Politburo meeting and Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA) session in early April, receiving new titles of alternate Politburo member and member of the Supreme Affairs Commission (SAC).

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