SEOUL – North Korea has stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to visit Pyongyang soon, as announced by the North Korean foreign minister’s assistant office. This statement was released through the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), following the recent return of Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui from Moscow.
According to Yonhap News Agency, President Putin expressed gratitude for the invitation from Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, to visit Pyongyang at a convenient time. The announcement highlighted Putin’s readiness to make the trip to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), North Korea’s official name, at an early date. Choe Son-hui’s visit to Russia aimed to enhance military cooperation between the two countries. North Korea has been supplying Russia with arms for use in the conflict in Ukraine in exchange for technical assistance with Pyongyang’s weapons programs. During her visit, Choe met with her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, and also paid a courtesy call on President Putin.
The assistant office of Choe noted that Putin thanked Kim Jong-un for the invitation and confirmed his willingness to visit the DPRK soon. The DPRK government has expressed its readiness to welcome President Putin, referring to him as “the Korean people’s closest friend,” with the greatest sincerity.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged on Friday that discussions about Putin’s visit to North Korea were underway through diplomatic channels. Putin’s last visit to North Korea was in July 2000. The recent talks between Pyongyang and Moscow reportedly reached a consensus on regional and international issues concerning the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.
The joint statement further indicated that both nations view their relationship as a strategic fortress and a driving force in defending international peace and security and promoting the construction of a multi-polarized world. Russia also received support and solidarity from North Korea regarding its military operation in Ukraine.