North Korean flight lands in Russia for first post-Covid foray

A commercial flight operated by North Korean state-owned flag carrier landed at Vladivostok International Airport in Russia Friday for the first time in over three and a half years.

A plane registered with Air Koryo, North Korea's state-owned flag carrier, is spotted at Vladivostok International Airport in Russia Friday, awaiting a return flight to Pyongyang. This marks the first North Korean passenger flight to Russia in over three and a half years since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. [YONHAP]

A commercial flight operated by North Korean state-owned flag carrier landed at Vladivostok International Airport in Russia Friday for the first time in over three and a half years.

This marks the first flight from North Korea to Russia since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Air Koryo passenger flight left Pyongyang Sunan International Airport and landed at the Vladivostok airport at around 11:14 a.m., reported Russia's state-run RIA Novosti news agency.

This appears to signal a resumption of the only route connecting North Korea and Russia. This flight operated twice a week before being suspended in February 2020, after North Korea shut down its borders due to Covid-19 concerns.

The Air Koryo flight schedule had not been revealed on the Vladivostok International Airport website beforehand, despite earlier reports that a flight between the countries would resume Friday. The flight was slightly delayed due to heavy rains before landing in Vladivostok.

Earlier this week, a plane registered with Air Koryo landed at Beijing Capital International Airport in China for the first time since the pandemic.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un last traveled to Vladivostok on his private train for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in April 2019.

The resumption of flights signals that the two countries, traditional allies, are working to strengthen their strategic relationship, especially as Russia has drawn condemnation from the international community over its war on Ukraine and North Korea continues its nuclear and missile threats.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu last month made a trip to Pyongyang to attend commemorative events, including a military parade, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War alongside leader Kim.

North Korean state media reported that Shoigu delivered to Kim a letter from Russian President Putin.

A flight information display system at Vladivostok International Airport in Russia shows that a North Korean Air Koryo passenger flight is delayed Friday. An Air Koryo flight landed in Russia later Friday for the first time in three and a half years. [YONHAP]

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]