President Vladimir Putin and North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un met again after nine months, showcasing their close ties.
The Kremlin announced that President Putin arrived in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, shortly after 2 a.m. on the 19th. Originally, President Putin was scheduled to arrive late on the evening of the 18th and stay in North Korea until the afternoon of the 19th. However, due to his late arrival, the planned two-day, one-night visit was shortened to a same-day trip.
President Putin's visit to North Korea is drawing attention as a symbolic demonstration of the close ties between North Korea and Russia amid escalating tensions between Russia and the West. This visit marks Putin's first trip to North Korea in 24 years since 2000, and it is also the first visit by a foreign head of state to North Korea since the border closures due to COVID-19 in 2020.
On the afternoon of the visit, President Putin and Chairman Kim are scheduled to hold a summit and sign a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement. The day before, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov stated that this agreement would include security issues.
The two leaders are also expected to discuss military cooperation. Attention is focused on whether North Korea and Russia will agree to a level of cooperation close to the "automatic military intervention" clause that was part of the 1961 "Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance" between the former Soviet Union and North Korea but was abolished in 1996. It is also anticipated that they will agree on measures to enhance economic cooperation by establishing their own trade and payment systems.
After completing his visit to North Korea, President Putin will head to Vietnam on the afternoon of the 19th. He will make a state visit to Vietnam from the 19th to the 20th at the invitation of Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
The U.S. government is closely monitoring President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea as of the 18th (local time).
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre criticized the visit during a briefing, saying, "This is an issue we have been warning about for some time," adding, "North Korea's provision of weapons to Russia has helped Russia conduct a brutal war against Ukraine." She continued, "The deepening cooperation between Russia and North Korea is a trend that anyone interested in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, upholding the global non-proliferation regime, complying with United Nations Security Council resolutions, and supporting the people of Ukraine should be deeply concerned about."
She emphasized, "The U.S. focus in the Indo-Pacific region and on the Korean Peninsula is to work with allies and partners to promote peace and stability in the region."
She added, "The United States and South Korea are working very closely to respond to security concerns and threats on the Korean Peninsula," and stated, "The U.S. and South Korea have a long-standing alliance, and we are deepening that alliance with a focus on ensuring peace and security not only for the Korean people but also for the Indo-Pacific region."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
