Choe is scheduled to visit Russia from Monday to Wednesday at Lavrov's invitation, and her delegation was seen off at the airport on Sunday by Vice Foreign Minister Pak Chol-jun and Russia's Charge d'Affaires ad Interim Vladimir Topeha, the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

Her visit appears to be a reciprocal trip following Lavrov's visit to Pyongyang in October 2023 and comes amid suspicions that North Korea has provided weapons to Russia for use in its war with Ukraine in return for Russia's technical assistance for Pyongyang's weapons programs.

Pyongyang and Moscow have denied any arms deals so far.

Also drawing attention is the issue of whether Choe and Lavrov will discuss a possible trip by Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea.

The President had accepted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's invitation to visit Pyongyang during their summit at Russia's Vostochny spaceport in September last year.

In April 2019, the North's state media said Putin had accepted Kim's proposal to visit Pyongyang during their first summit in Vladivostok.

But at that time, the Kremlin did not confirm it, nor did Putin visit the North.