North Korean foreign minister arrives in Russia for official visit

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui has arrived in Russia for a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, according to Moscow’s Foreign Ministry on Monday.

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, right, shakes hands with Russian Foreign Minister Sergi Lavrov during their last meeting in Pyongyang on Oct. 19 in this footage broadcast by the North's state-controlled Korean Central Television the following day. [YONHAP]

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui has arrived in Russia for a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, according to Moscow’s Foreign Ministry on Monday.

Her arrival came as Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov characterized the North as Russia’s “partner” in all areas, signalling deepening cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.

In comments to Russia’s state-run TASS news agency, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that Choe is scheduled to meet with Lavrov on Tuesday.

The North Korean foreign minister’s visit to Russia, which is scheduled to last until Wednesday, follows Lavrov’s trip to Pyongyang in October.

His visit came after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for a rare summit in September in the Russian Far East.

Their Sept. 13 meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome and tours of major Russian aircraft factories led to speculation that Pyongyang has agreed to supply weapons to Moscow in exchange for military technology and especially assistance with its satellite program.

On Sunday, Zakharova told the state-run Rossiya-1 news channel that Choe’s visit would include negotiations but declined to provide further details.

She also predicted the trip would spark speculation by the West but claimed Russia would not commit violations of international law while acting in its own interest.

“We have the right to do whatever we consider necessary, taking into account the fact that we constantly declare respect for international law,” she said.

While North Korea and Russia have denied any illicit military exchanges have taken place, the North successfully launched its first military spy satellite on Nov. 21 after two previous failed attempts in May and August.

The White House recently said that Russia fired North Korean-provided ballistic missiles into Ukraine on Dec. 30, Jan. 2 and Jan. 6.

South Korea and the United States have called on Russia to stop shipping arms from North Korea in violation of the international arms embargo and sanctions it previously approved as a member of the United Nations Security Council.

U.S. National Security Adviser for Strategic Communications John Kirby said on Jan. 4 that the United States expects Russia and North Korea “to learn from these launches” and that Russia “will use additional North Korean missiles to target Ukraine's civilian infrastructure and to kill innocent Ukrainian civilians.”

The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on three Russian entities and one individual involved in the transfer and testing of North Korean ballistic missiles for Russia’s use against Ukraine.

Although the agenda of Choe and Lavrov’s meeting remains unknown, one possible item under discussion is a trip by Putin to North Korea following his acceptance of Kim’s invitation to visit during their summit.

In response to the announcement of the North Korean foreign minister’s visit to Russia, Seoul’s Unification Ministry warned against military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow, calling it “illegal.”

Koo Byoung-sam, the ministry’s spokesperson, told reporters at a Monday press briefing that the North and Russia “should be clearly aware that (the international community) is keeping close tabs on Choe’s visit to Russia.”

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]