North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is poised to visit Russia, responding to an official invitation from President Vladimir Putin, as reported by Reuters on Monday (September 11). This visit comes on the heels of South Korean media reports citing unnamed government sources, which suggested that Kim was en route to Russia on a special train for a summit with Putin.
The Kremlin has confirmed the visit, stating, “At the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Chairman of State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Kim Jong Un, will pay an official visit to the Russian Federation in the coming days.” Putin himself arrived in Vladivostok, a city in Russia’s far east, on Monday to participate in the Eastern Economic Forum.
South Korean local media suggests that Kim is traveling toward North Korea’s northeastern border on a special train, with the summit potentially occurring as early as Tuesday, or more likely, on Wednesday, according to broadcasters. Russian news agency Interfax also indicated that Kim was expected to visit the Far East “in the coming days.”
South Korea’s foreign and unification ministries, when contacted by phone, reported having no information to share on the matter, while the National Intelligence Service officials remained unavailable for comment, as reported by Reuters.
The United States has voiced concerns regarding the possibility of North Korea providing weapons to Russia. This concern arises in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, during which North Korea was one of the few countries openly supporting Russia. Reuters notes that Putin has recently pledged to “expand bilateral ties in all respects in a planned way by pooling efforts.”
KIM JONG UN RUSSIA VISIT