North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that his visit to Russia was a sign of the “strategic importance” the two countries place on each other.
Strategically Important Ties
“Kim Jong Un said that his visit to the Russian Federation ... is a clear manifestation of the stand of the WPK (Workers’ Party of Korea) and the government of the DPRK (North Korea) prioritizing the strategic importance of DPRK-Russia relations,” state mouthpiece the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
According to KCNA, the trip is the Korean leader’s first visit to Russia in nearly four years and his first foreign visit since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The news agency further said that the visit seeks to put North Korea-Russia relations of friendship and cooperation on a “fresh higher level.”
On Sunday, Kim travelled to Russia on his private bulletproof train and reached the Russian border town of Khasan on Tuesday morning, where senior officials, including Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov, greeted him.
Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin had a lengthy handshake as the North Korean leader arrived for a meeting in Russia where they are expected to discuss an arms deal ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/tsV216PWGX
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 13, 2023
Kim will hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, it is not clear where the two will meet. Japan’s Kyodo News agency and South Korean media have reported that they might meet at the Vostochny cosmodrome, a spaceport in eastern Russia.
Arms Supply
The two leaders are holding talks amid several warnings from the West to refrain from engaging in talks concerning arms supply to aid Russia’s war in Ukraine.
However, the North Korean leader travelled to Russia with his top military officials, including Korean People’s Army Marshal Pak Jong Chon and Munitions Industry Department Director Jo Chun Ryong.
This is an indication that the Kim-Putin summit “is likely to heavily focus on Russia and North Korea’s possible military cooperation,” Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, told AFP.
In addition, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov’s comments also indicated that a military deal may be on the agenda, as he stated that the leaders would “cooperate on sensitive areas that should not be the subject of public disclosure and announcements.”
Experts believe Moscow is seeking artillery shells and antitank missiles from its Korean ally, which, in turn, is looking to procure advanced satellite and nuclear-powered submarine technology.