North Korea's nominal head of state Kim Yong-nam has returned from his trip to Russia, where he attended the opening ceremony of the World Cup soccer finals, the North's state media reported Tuesday.
Kim returned home on Monday after his stay in Moscow where he joined the opening ceremony of the quadrennial soccer competition on Thursday, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
Kim Yong-nam (Bloomberg)
During his four-day trip, Kim met Russian President Vladimir Putin and delivered North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's letter to him. In the meeting, Putin reportedly invited leader Kim to visit Moscow.
Kim Yong-nam came back to Pyongyang by way of Beijing where he stayed for two days from Saturday, raising speculation that he might have met high-ranking Chinese officials. The KCNA did not provide details on his itinerary in China.
The World Cup runs from June 14 to July 15 in 11 Russian cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg. North Korea is not participating in the competition. (Yonhap)