North Korea to send vice minister to UN General Assembly on September 28
Synopsis
North Korea is set to take the UN General Assembly podium again on 28 September, with vice foreign minister Kim Son-gyong reportedly lined up to speak. With Donald Trump publicly signalling interest in meeting Kim Jong-un, Pyongyang's address this month carries unusual diplomatic weight — and the world will be listening for any hint of a thaw.
Key Takeaways
North Korea is expected to send vice foreign minister Kim Son-gyong to the 81st UN General Assembly in New York .
Kim is scheduled to speak on 28 September 2025 , the final day of the high-level segment.
Last year, Kim led a North Korean delegation to the General Assembly for the first time in seven years .
Pyongyang skipped high-level participation from 2019 to 2024 following the collapse of the Hanoi summit with then-President Donald Trump .
Trump has publicly expressed willingness to meet Kim Jong-un in 2025, raising the stakes of Pyongyang's UN address.
North Korea is expected to dispatch a vice minister-level official to the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, with Kim Son-gyong, a vice foreign minister overseeing international organisations, reportedly set to deliver Pyongyang's address on 28 September 2025 — the final day of the high-level segment. The development signals a continued diplomatic re-engagement after years of self-imposed absence from the world body.
Key Developments
According to the updated list of speakers published by the UN Secretariat, a North Korean vice minister-level representative is scheduled to speak at UN headquarters on 28 September. The general debate of the 81st UN General Assembly is set to run from 22 to 26 September, with an additional session on 28 September.
Diplomatic sources believe Kim Son-gyong — who holds the vice foreign minister portfolio for international organisations — is the most likely representative, as he performed the same role last year.
North Korea's Return to UN High Table
Last year, Kim Son-gyong led a North Korean delegation to the General Assembly for the first time in seven years. Between 2019 and 2024, Pyongyang had notably declined to send a high-level official to the Assembly, following the collapse of the 2019 Hanoi summit between then-US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. During that period, Kim Song, North Korea's ambassador to the UN, delivered the country's annual General Assembly speeches in place of a senior delegation.
The return of a vice minister last year marked a quiet but significant shift — and this year's expected participation continues that trajectory.
What Message Will Pyongyang Deliver
Attention is focused on what tone and substance North Korea will bring to the UN podium this year. Notably, Donald Trump, now back in office, has publicly expressed willingness to meet with Kim Jong-un in 2025. Whether Pyongyang uses its General Assembly address to signal openness to dialogue — or to reiterate its established positions on sanctions and nuclear deterrence — is being closely watched by regional analysts and diplomats.
This comes amid broader uncertainty over the trajectory of US–North Korea relations, which have remained largely frozen since the Hanoi breakdown.
About the UN General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly is one of the six principal organs of the UN, functioning as its primary deliberative, policymaking, and representative body. Its powers, composition, and procedures are defined under Chapter IV of the UN Charter. The high-level general debate traditionally draws foreign ministers and heads of state from across the world, making it a key platform for diplomatic signalling.
With Trump's overtures to Pyongyang on the table, North Korea's choice of words at the General Assembly this month could offer the clearest public indication yet of where Kim Jong-un's government stands on renewed engagement.
Point of View
Pyongyang has chosen re-engagement at the world's most visible multilateral forum precisely when Trump is making public overtures toward Kim Jong-un. The choice of Kim Son-gyong — a technocrat focused on international organisations rather than a hardline ideological voice — suggests Pyongyang is managing its messaging carefully. What North Korea says on 28 September, and equally what it does not say, will be parsed by Seoul, Washington, and Beijing as a leading indicator of whether any substantive US–DPRK contact is in the offing.
NationPress
5 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which North Korean official is expected to speak at the UN General Assembly in 2025?
Vice foreign minister Kim Son-gyong , who oversees international organisations, is reportedly expected to deliver North Korea's address at the UN General Assembly on 28 September 2025. He performed the same role last year, when he led a North Korean delegation to the Assembly for the first time in seven years.
Why did North Korea stop sending high-level officials to the UN General Assembly?
Pyongyang did not send high-level officials to the General Assembly from 2019 through 2024, following the breakdown of the 2019 Hanoi summit between then-US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. During that period, North Korea's UN ambassador Kim Song delivered the country's annual speeches instead.
When is North Korea scheduled to speak at the 81st UN General Assembly?
North Korea is scheduled to deliver its address on 28 September 2025, the final day of the high-level segment of the 81st UN General Assembly. The general debate runs from 22 to 26 September, with an additional session on 28 September.
Why does North Korea's UN speech matter more in 2025?
US President Donald Trump has publicly expressed willingness to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in 2025, making Pyongyang's General Assembly address a closely watched diplomatic signal. Analysts expect the speech to offer clues about North Korea's posture on potential renewed engagement with Washington.
What is the UN General Assembly?
The United Nations General Assembly is one of the six principal organs of the UN and its primary deliberative and policymaking body. Its composition, powers, and procedures are set out in Chapter IV of the UN Charter, and its annual high-level segment draws foreign ministers and heads of state from around the world.
