President Trump floats sanctions relief for North Korea denuclearization as Secretary of State Marco Rubio maintains focus on nuclear disarmament policy.

Australia is conducting an active mission to monitor North Korea's illegal ship-to-ship transfers of sanctioned goods.

North Korea's top diplomat has visited the Kremlin for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting follows last month's meeting between Putin and Kim Jong Un in Beijing.

President Donald Trump noted that he'd be willing to extend his trip to meet with Kim Jong Un of North Korea, if the foreign official wants to meet.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to make greater efforts to persuade North Korea to return to talks, as the two leaders on Saturday agreed on a set of steps to expand their economic and other ties.

A North Korean soldier has defected to South Korea across the rivals’ heavily fortified border. The South Korean military says it took the custody of the soldier who crossed the central portion of the land border on Sunday.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Gyeongju on Saturday (1 November), marking Xi’s first visit to South Korea in 11 years. Lee urged Xi to help revive dialogue with North Korea and support efforts toward denuclearisation.

North Korea said on Saturday that denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, which South Korea said will be discussed in a summit with China later that day, is an unrealisable "pipe dream," according to state media KCNA.