South Korea's ambassador to Russia, Lee Sok-bae, will attend the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok from Tuesday to Friday, a foreign ministry official said, filling last year's empty post. Seoul's unification ministry said it has no plans to take part. Speculation continues that Kim Jong-un could travel to Russia for a possible meeting with Vladimir Putin on the forum's margins. The Kremlin said President Prabowo Subianto would be the main foreign guest on 1-4 September, as Jakarta checks a Ukrainian claim that eight Indonesian men enlisted.
South Korea's ambassador to Russia, Lee Sok-bae, will attend Russia's annual Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok from Tuesday to Friday, a foreign ministry official said on Monday. The ambassadorial post was vacant during last year's edition. Lee, who took up the job in November, is said to have received an invitation this year.[1]
Seoul's unification ministry said separately that it has no plans to take part. The unification ministry, which handles inter-Korean policy, said earlier on Monday that it would stay away. The forum has drawn attention amid speculation that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could travel to Russia for a possible summit with Vladimir Putin on its margins. That travel remains speculation about the forum's margins, not a confirmed journey.[1]
The Kremlin said last week that President Prabowo Subianto would be the main foreign guest at Russia's Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on 1-4 September. Indonesia keeps a neutral line on the war. Indonesian authorities are verifying scans of seven electronic visa applications and one migration card published last week by Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service, which said the documents belonged to Indonesian men who had enlisted in the Russian military. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Yvonne Mewengkang said officials were cross-checking the information with diplomatic missions and other ministries, and that identities, citizenship and the nature of any involvement still need confirmation. Mewengkang said Jakarta would also examine whether the men fell victim to fraudulent job advertisements or human trafficking, in which case it would move to protect them; voluntary enlistment can cost an Indonesian citizen their citizenship. Ukraine's service said similar schemes have drawn citizens of Nepal, Cuba, Kenya and India; that claim has not been independently verified.[2]
