Russia's Putin expected to visit North Korea in a ‘few days’: Seoul

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit North Korea within the next few days, said South Korea's presidential office.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during their meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, a spaceport in the far eastern Amur region in Russia, on Sept. 13, 2023, their first reunion in over four years. [AP/YONHAP]

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit North Korea within the next few days, said South Korea's presidential office, with Seoul closely monitoring the rare trip by a foreign leader to the isolationist regime.

A senior presidential official told reporters in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday that Putin's visit to North Korea "will be coming in the next few days." This marks the first time Seoul has confirmed Putin's plan to visit North Korea following recent reports of such a trip.

The official said there is also a "diplomatic and security strategic dialogue between South Korea and China scheduled to take place around the same time."

He added that Seoul will "ensure that our major allies and strategic partners are aligned with us on the North Korean issue."

President Yoon Suk Yeol was on a state visit to Kazakhstan as part of a weeklong, three-country Central Asian tour that will wrap up Saturday in Uzbekistan.

Yoon said in a press briefing Wednesday after his summit with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev that the two countries agreed to partake in international efforts to "condemn North Korea's nuclear and missile development" and to block any sources of illegal funding for its weapons program.

On Monday, Russia's Vedomosti newspaper reported Putin would visit North Korea and Vietnam in the coming weeks.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un extended an invitation to Putin during their rare bilateral summit at a spaceport in Russia's Far East last September.

The summit came as Russia sought to replenish its depleted ammunition stockpile in its war on Ukraine, while Pyongyang needed Russian technologies related to nuclear-powered submarines, missiles and satellites. The two countries have visibly increased cooperation since this summit.

A Kim-Putin summit later this month could be an occasion for the two leaders to elevate their countries' relations to a new level.

Kim said North Korea is an "invincible comrade-in-arms" with Russia in a message to Putin, its state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Wednesday, highlighting a "long-standing strategic relationship" that is "steadily developing into the higher-level state relations."

The message was sent to mark Russia's national day, ahead of Putin's imminent visit to North Korea, which could focus on strengthening the traditional allies' military and economic cooperation.

In late May, North Korea failed in an attempt to launch its latest spy satellite, putting a damper on leader Kim's ambition to put three additional satellites into orbit this year.

Pyongyang successfully put its first military spy satellite into orbit in November last year, weeks after the Kim-Putin summit, after two previous unsuccessful attempts last May and August. This led to suspicions that it could have received technical help from Russia.

Seoul's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday stressed that any exchanges and cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow must be carried out in a way that complies with UN Security Council resolutions.

"Our government is closely monitoring President Putin's preparations for his visit to North Korea," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lim Soo-suk said in a briefing in Seoul.

He stressed that exchanges between North Korea and Russia "must be conducted in a direction that contributes to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula."

Issues that could be on the agenda during their summit, such as strengthening military cooperation or increasing North Korean workers being sent to Russia, could violate UN sanctions against Pyongyang.

Addressing concerns over suspected arms deals between North Korea and Russia, a South Korean Foreign Ministry official said Seoul "continues to convey our position regarding military cooperation between North Korea and Russia both publicly and through diplomatic channels."

President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and first lady Kim Keon Hee arrive at Tashkent International Airport on Thursday, for a state visit to Uzbekistan, the final left of a six-day Central Asia tour which took them to Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. Yoon was set to hold a bilateral summit with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, before heading back to Seoul Saturday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

While the Kremlin has yet to make an official statement on a visit to North Korea, diplomatic sources have mentioned June 18 to 19 as the possible dates for Putin's meeting with Kim.

An official in Vietnam told Reuters the Vietnam trip was planned for June 19 and 20 but has not yet been confirmed.

Putin last visited North Korea in July 2000, during the regime of late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, father of Kim Jong-un.

NK News reported Wednesday that North Korea has recently cleared planes from the tarmac in front of Pyongyang International Airport, likely indicating that the country is preparing for Putin's visit.

Its analysis of Planet Labs satellite imagery showed Air Koryo planes were removed from a parking area near the Pyongyang airport's terminal building between June 6 and Monday.

Such activities have previously been associated with visits by foreign leaders and high-ranking officials to the country, including former President Moon Jae-in in September 2018 and Chinese leader Xi Jinping's visit in June 2019.

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