| North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is welcomed by Russia's Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Alexander Kozlov upon his arrival at Khasan train station Primorky region, at the start of his official visit to Russia in this photo taken and released by Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Russia, Tuesday. AFP-Yonhap |
2 leaders expected to seal major arms deal; US warns NK against supplying arms to Russia
By Lee Hyo-jin
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrived in Russia early Tuesday morning for a possible summit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, according to South Korea's defense ministry, amid speculations that the two leaders may strike a major arms deal.
A green-and-yellow armored train carrying Kim arrived at Khasan railway station in the Primorsky Krai region near the border between North Korea and Russia, where he was greeted with a welcoming ceremony prepared by Russian officials, according to Japanese media outlets.
The train then traveled farther north and passed the railway bridge over the Razdolnaya River at around 12:15 p.m. (local time), presumably heading toward Ussuriysk, Russia's state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported.
| North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during their meeting in Vladivostok, Russia, April 25, 2019. AP-Yonhap |
Ussurisysk is located some 100 kilometers north of Vladivostok, the city in the Russian Far East where Putin arrived on Monday to attend the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).
The Kremlin confirmed on Tuesday that a one-on-one meeting between the two leaders will take place “in the coming days” in the region, but did not elaborate specifically when or where it will be held.
But given that Putin's activities at the EEF are expected to last until late into Tuesday night, according to the Kremlin, the summit will likely take place on Wednesday.
“There will be discussions related to bilateral relations, cooperation, trade and economic ties, and cultural exchanges,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by Tass news agency. “Naturally, there will be an exchange of views on the regional situation and international affairs in general, as this is of interest to both Putin and our guest from Pyongyang.”
| Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with business representatives on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Tuesday. AP-Yonhap |
In his first known trip overseas in more than four years due to COVID-19-imposed border closures, Kim was accompanied by more than a dozen senior government officials including defense and military personnel.
South Korea's Ministry of Unification presumed the delegation to include Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, Vice Chairman Ri Pyong-chol of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers' Party, Munitions Industry Department director Jo Chun-ryong and Navy Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Myong-sik.
“We are seeing a lot of military personnel compared to Kim's last visit to Russia in 2019,” a ministry official told reporters.
The official speculated that Kim and Putin may discuss cooperation in the fields of science and satellite technology, as the delegation also includes O Su-yong, head of the party's economic department, and Park Thae-song who is in charge of science and education.
| North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is saluted by soldiers ahead of his trip to Russia on Sunday, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, Tuesday. Yonhap |
The South's Ministry of National Defense also said it is closely monitoring for possible arms trade between the two countries.
“Given that a large number of military personnel are accompanying him, we are closely watching whether discussions on arms trade or technology transfers between North Korea and Russia will take place,” Jeon Ha-kyu, a ministry spokesperson, said during a briefing.
In response to speculation about potential weapons trade between Pyongyang and Moscow, South Korea's presidential office called on Russia to “act responsibly.”
“As the president has previously stated, we hope that Russia will act responsibly as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council,” a presidential official told reporters, noting that a lot of countries are watching the upcoming summit between Kim and Putin with concern.
North Korea and Russia have been forging friendly ties rapidly as Moscow is becoming more desperate for munitions for its war in Ukraine. For North Korea, an increasingly isolated Russia means a good trading partner from which it can seek help in advancing its missile technology.
Hours before Kim's arrival in Russia, the U.S. government renewed its warning to Pyongyang on selling arms to Moscow.
“We urge the DPRK to abide by the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Russia,” Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, told reporters, Monday (local time), referring to North Korea by its official name, Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
In response, the Kremlin spokesperson said it is “not interested” in warnings from Washington. Peskov also stated that Russia is ready to discuss U.N. Security Council sanctions with its comrades from North Korea. Russia and China have been blocking U.S.-led efforts at the U.N. Security Council to strengthen sanctions on Pyongyang over its intensifying missile tests.
| North Korean leader Kim Jong-un waves as he boards the train bound for Russia, Sunday, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, Tuesday. Yonhap |
Kim's bulletproof train grabs attention
For his trip to Russia, Kim once again opted for the traditional overseas travel method for North Korean leaders: a heavily armored locomotive dubbed Taeyang-ho, which translates to “Sun” in Korean.
It appeared to be the same train Kim had used for his previous trip to Vladivostok in April 2019 for a meeting with Putin, when he traveled some 1,200 kilometers for about 20 hours. He also took the private train on a two-and-a-half day journey to Hanoi, Vietnam, for his summit with then-President Donald Trump in February 2019.
The special train is known to be bulletproof and equipped with various amenities to ensure the leader's comfort and security. But due to its immense weight and armored features, the train travels very slowly, about 50 to 60 kilometers per hour.