North Korea’s participation in the recent Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum, a rare appearance by the country at an international conference during the COVID-19 pandemic, is unlikely to signal greater interest in diplomatic engagement on Pyongyang’s part, experts told NK News this week.

In a statement released by ASEAN on Monday, the chair of the association said that the virtual meeting “reaffirmed its support for diplomacy and dialogue in achieving complete denuclearization and establishment of permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.”