Upon his arrival in Russia, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is set to hold a meeting with President Vladimir Putin to potentially discuss an arms deal for Moscow’s involvement in the Ukraine conflict.
Kim undertook a 20-hour journey covering 1,180km (733 miles) on a slow-moving green-and-yellow train, as reported by South Korean sources.
The heavily armored train operates at a speed of approximately 50km/h (31mph), which is significantly slower than modern trains.
According to North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim, accompanied by unspecified members of the country’s ruling party, government, and military, boarded his personal train on Sunday afternoon.
The train crossed into Russia earlier today, as confirmed by South Korea’s military sources in a briefing, who did not provide further details on how the information was obtained.
Kim and Putin will convene in Vladivostok, with Mr. Putin already in the city to participate in an international forum running through Wednesday, as reported by Russia’s TASS news agency.
The first meeting between Mr. Putin and Mr. Kim took place in 2019 in a city approximately 425 miles (680 kilometers) north of Pyongyang.
Russian news agencies cited Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stating that the two leaders would meet after the Vladivostok forum, without specifying the exact timing and location.
This foreign trip marks Kim Jong-un’s first since the COVID-19 pandemic, during which North Korea imposed strict border controls for over three years.
Kim’s delegation likely includes his foreign minister, Choe Sun Hui, as well as his top two military officials – Korean People’s Army Marshals Ri Pyong Chol and Pak Jong Chon.
Other expected members are Pak Thae Song, chairman of North Korea’s space science and technology committee, and Navy Admiral Kim Myong Sik, both associated with North Korean efforts to acquire spy satellites and nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarines.
Accompanying Kim is Jo Chun Ryong, a ruling party official responsible for munitions policies, who had joined the leader on recent visits to factories producing artillery shells and missiles, as indicated by South Korea’s Unification Ministry’s analysis of North Korean photos.
