Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis Reopens Diplomatic Office in Pyongyang with Historic Visit

Switzerland has formally reopened its diplomatic office in Pyongyang, marking a significant step in reviving direct political dialogue with North Korea. Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis made the first visit by a Swiss top diplomat to the country since 2003, arriving in the North Korean capital on October 29 and 30 before heading to Seoul.

The Swiss foreign ministry stated that the primary objective of Cassis’s trip was to restore direct political dialogue with North Korea, maintaining Bern’s engagement with both sides of the divided Korean peninsula. The diplomatic office officially resumed operations on October 19, operating under the Swiss embassy in Beijing, which continues to oversee diplomatic and consular relations with Pyongyang. The previous Swiss office in North Korea, which focused on humanitarian cooperation, was closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although Switzerland and North Korea have maintained diplomatic relations since 1974, regular political consultations had been suspended since 2019. Bern has emphasized that the reopened office will enable Switzerland to engage directly with North Korean authorities and monitor regional developments closely.

During his visit, Foreign Minister Cassis held high-level talks in Pyongyang with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui and Jo Yong Won, secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party’s Central Committee. The discussions focused on restoring political dialogue, security on the Korean Peninsula, and broader security challenges affecting both Europe and Asia.

Cassis informed the Swiss news agency Keystone-ATS that Switzerland offered to facilitate dialogue to help ease tensions on the peninsula, a proposal that he noted was well received. According to North Korea’s state news agency KCNA, the two sides discussed diplomatic cooperation and international issues in a “friendly atmosphere,” though no detailed accounts of the meetings were provided.

When asked by Euronews if the reopened office could support broader European dialogue with Pyongyang, a Swiss foreign ministry spokesperson declined to comment, referring to the ministry’s previous statement.

As part of his regional tour, Cassis also traveled to Seoul on October 30 and 31, where he met with South Korean National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac and senior foreign ministry official Jeong Yeon-du. During his briefing with Jeong, Cassis shared details of his discussions in Pyongyang. Seoul expressed hope that the Swiss office would serve as a channel to help South Korea engage with the North.

The diplomatic push comes amid heightened military tensions on the peninsula. Just days prior, North Korea fired approximately ten short-range ballistic missiles into the sea, following Seoul’s renewed call for military talks to prevent accidental border clashes. At a G20 meeting in Atlanta, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun urged international support for dialogue between the two Koreas.

Switzerland has played a longstanding role in monitoring the Korean War armistice since 1953 through the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission based at Panmunjom. Cassis also met with the head of the Swiss delegation to discuss the security situation at the demilitarized zone.

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