Swiss foreign minister makes first North Korea visit since 2003 as diplomatic office reopens

Switzerland has formally reopened its diplomatic office in North Korea as Ignazio Cassis became the first Swiss foreign minister to visit the country since 2003.

Cassis visited Pyongyang on 29 and 30 October before travelling to Seoul. In a statement issued on Saturday, the Swiss foreign ministry said the trip aimed to restore direct political dialogue with North Korea as it looks to maintain contact with both sides of the divided peninsula.

The office restarted operations on 19 October. It falls under the Swiss embassy in Beijing, which remains responsible for diplomatic and consular relations with North Korea. Switzerland’s previous office in Pyongyang handled humanitarian cooperation and closed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The two countries have maintained diplomatic relations since 1974, but regular political consultations stopped after 2019.

Bern said the office would allow Switzerland to deal directly with North Korean authorities and follow developments in the region.

Talks in Pyongyang

During his visit, Cassis met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui and Jo Yong Won, secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party’s Central Committee.

His discussions with Choe covered restoring political dialogue, security on the Korean Peninsula and wider security challenges in Europe and Asia.

Speaking to Swiss news agency Keystone-ATS on Saturday, Cassis said he had offered Switzerland’s help in facilitating dialogue to ease tensions on the peninsula. He said the proposal appeared to have been well received.

North Korea’s state news agency KCNA said on Saturday that the two ministers discussed diplomatic cooperation and international issues in a "friendly atmosphere." It did not provide a detailed account of the discussions.

Asked by Euronews whether the office could support wider European dialogue with Pyongyang, a Swiss foreign ministry spokesperson said the department had nothing to add to Saturday’s statement.

Seoul hopes for renewed engagement

Cassis also made a trip to Seoul on 30 and 31 October, meeting National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac and senior foreign ministry official Jeong Yeon-du.

He briefed Jeong on his Pyongyang talks. Jeong expressed hope that the Swiss office would help South Korea engage with the North, according to Seoul’s foreign ministry.

The visit came amid renewed military tensions. North Korea fired around 10 short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea on Thursday, according to South Korea’s military, a day after Seoul renewed its call for military talks to prevent accidental border clashes.

In a separate statement on Sunday, South Korea’s foreign ministry said Foreign Minister Cho Hyun had urged support for dialogue between the two Koreas at a G20 meeting in Atlanta.

Switzerland has helped monitor the armistice that halted fighting in the Korean War since 1953 through the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, based at Panmunjom. Cassis also met the head of the Swiss delegation to discuss the security situation.