North Korean Vice Marshal Choe Ryong Hae will soon be dispatched to Russia as a special envoy, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Friday.

The KCNA report simply stated that, Choe, a member of North Korea’s Central Party, will be visiting Russia “in the near future as a special envoy of leader Kim Jong Un.”

The article provided no specific date for the planned visit.

Choe was recently replaced by Hwang Pyong So as director of the powerful Korean People’s Army’s General Political Bureau. He was also one of three high-ranking officials who made a surprise visitto