Vietnam's foreign minister, Pham Binh Minh is visiting North Korea from February 12th to 14th, ahead of this month's planned summit in Hanoi between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump.
While no details have been announced, the spokesperson for Vietnam's foreign ministry said via Twitter on Monday that such a visit comes at the invitation of North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong-ho.
It looks likely that the Vietnamese foreign minister will be discussing Kim Jong-un's specific itinerary when he's in Hanoi.
He could also sit down with Kim, amid speculation the North Korean leader could visit Vietnam as a guest of the state.
If this takes place, a North Korea-Vietnam summit could take place either before or after the much anticipated Pyeongyang-Washington summit.
This would be another significant diplomatic event for Pyeongyang alongside the North Korea-U.S. summit itself.
Meanwhile, Ri Yong-ho visited Vietnam in November last year to benchmark Hanoi's Doi Moi, or the economic liberalization initiative.
When Kim Jong-un visits Vietnam, he will become the first North Korean leader to do so in some five decades.
Kim Hyo-sun, Arirang News.
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