South Korea urged Switzerland to remain engaged on Korean Peninsula affairs during bilateral talks in Seoul Tuesday, after Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis met North Korean officials in Pyongyang, The Korea Herald reported.
Chung Eui-hae, South Korea’s deputy foreign minister for political affairs, and Swiss Assistant State Secretary Markus Leitner met for the seventh round of bilateral policy consultations, the Herald reported. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said the talks addressed the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia. Chung sought continued Swiss engagement, including through senior-level visits and policy consultations.
Leitner pointed to economic progress as the South Korea-European Free Trade Association (EFTA) free trade agreement reached its 20th anniversary in 2026, according to the Herald. The ministry said the delegations agreed to strengthen cooperation in artificial intelligence, digital technology and biotechnology.
Chung cited Switzerland’s long-standing participation in the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission as a contribution to peace and stability on the peninsula, the newspaper reported. Cassis met North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui during his Oct. 29-30 trip to Pyongyang. North Korean state media said the agenda included efforts to promote dialogue and cooperation between the countries’ diplomatic services, along with international issues of mutual concern, the Herald reported. The Korea Herald said Cassis briefed National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac and Vice Foreign Minister Jeong Yeon-doo on his trip after reaching South Korea on Friday.
The Korea Herald reported that Cassis’s trip was the first visit to North Korea by a Swiss foreign minister since 2003. The newspaper dated diplomatic relations between Switzerland and North Korea to 1974.
The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) said its Pyongyang office began operating Oct. 19 as a direct channel to North Korean authorities. Switzerland’s embassy in Beijing remains responsible for diplomatic and consular relations with North Korea. EconoTimes earlier covered the reopening of Switzerland’s Pyongyang office amid Cassis’ visit.
