Kim Jong Un in Russia: what we know about the North Korean leader’s trip to meet Putin

2023-09-12 15:05:44

Neither Russia nor North Korea have specified when and where the visit would take place, nor its agenda, but the summit between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un promises to be among the most followed on the diplomatic planet. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who left Pyongyang on Sunday aboard his armored train, arrived in Russia on Tuesday. He must discuss “sensitive subjects” with Vladimir Putin, according to the Kremlin spokesperson quoted by the Russian agency Ria Novosti. In August, the two men spoke in favor of ever greater “strategic and tactical” cooperation.

First trip abroad since Covid

Kim’s visit to Russia marks his first trip abroad since the Covid-19 pandemic, and his 10th since coming to power in 2011. These previous nine focus on 2018 and 2019 to Singapore, Vietnam, China, and in the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas. And, contrary to popular belief, only four took place by train. Three by plane and two by car.

This high-end armored train, dark green with yellow stripes, was the preferred mode of transport of Kim Jong-il, the father of Kim Jong-un, the all-powerful leader of North Korea who had a terrible fear of flying. . The train was also the preferred mode of transportation for Kim’s grandfather, Kim Il-sung, the “eternal president of the Republic.”

Images published by the North Korean news agency KCNA show Kim on Sunday afternoon walking a red carpet at a train station in Pyongyang to board his train surrounded by officials. A crowd of spectators applauds in the background and waves flags. The train headed north through Primorsky Krai. A video shared Monday by Russia Today and geotagged by CNN showed the train carrying Kim near the Russian-North Korean border, near the Tumen River.

The secret meeting place

Given the slow speed of Kim’s armored train – 60 km/h – an encounter in Russia’s Far East was most likely. Putin arrived in Vladivostok on Monday to attend the Eastern Economic Forum, which is being held there until Wednesday. The Japanese news agency Kyodo reported on Tuesday, citing an unnamed Russian official source, that the “Kim express” had arrived at Khassan station, Russia, on the North Korean border. A railway was built between the two countries during World War II, connecting Khassan to Tumangang on the Korean side. However, the tracks do not have the same dimensions. 4 hours drive separates Khassan from Vladivostok.

The two heads of state had already met in the terminus city of the Trans-Siberian Railway in 2019.

A classic unfolding

Neither the exact date nor location of the summit has been specified. At the economic forum, Vladimir Putin was not asked about the North Korean leader’s visit, despite a long question-and-answer session. The Russian president only said that he would soon go to the Vostochny cosmodrome, 1,500 km from Vladivostok and approximately 1,700 km from Khasan. “I have an adequate program there, when I get there you will know,” he simply told journalists.

The meeting’s agenda was also not specified, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said bilateral relations between the nations would be a priority of the meeting, which will be a “visit in its own right, with talks between the two delegations,” according to Russian state media TASS. A formal dinner is also planned in Kim’s honor. No joint press conference is planned.

Putin’s objective: to obtain ammunition

Prominent members of the North Korean Communist Party boarded the train, including Director of the Department of Munitions Industry Jo Chun Ryong, fueling fears. Russia desperately needs new supplies of ammunition and artillery shells to continue its war in Ukraine despite Western sanctions beginning to take effect. North Korea, which faces years of international sanctions over its nuclear weapons program and years of drought, lacks everything – food, medicine, technology. In particular those which allow it to develop its military nuclear arsenal, despite international bans.

Last Tuesday, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned that North Korea would “pay a price” if it entered into an arms deal with Russia. The White House urged the regime to “respect Pyongyang’s public commitments not to supply or sell weapons to Russia.” After reports of North Korean arms sales to Russia emerged a year ago, a North Korean Defense Ministry official said at the time that Pyongyang had “never exported weapons.” ‘arms or ammunition to Russia before and that we would not consider exporting them.’