National Assembly Intelligence Committee Briefing
Special Treatment Expected on Par with Putin
Around 2,000 North Korean Casualties in Russia-Ukraine War Analyzed
On September 2, the National Intelligence Service predicted, "Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, is expected to stand alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at Tiananmen during the military parade on the 3rd, recreating a 'triangular alliance.'
According to Park Sunwon of the Democratic Party of Korea and Lee Sungkwon of the People Power Party, both secretaries of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee, the National Intelligence Service reported these developments regarding Chairman Kim's visit to China during a closed-door committee meeting on the same day.
According to them, "Chairman Kim departed on a private train on the afternoon of the 1st, crossed the border in the early morning of the 2nd, and is expected to arrive in Beijing late in the afternoon." They added, "Choe Sonhui, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Kim Songnam, Director of the International Department of the Workers' Party; and Hyon Songwol, Deputy Director, are accompanying him. There is also a possibility that Ri Solju and Kim Yo Jong are traveling with the delegation." Regarding protocol and security, it was anticipated that he would receive special treatment on par with President Putin.
At the military parade on the 3rd, Chairman Kim is expected to stand on the Tiananmen Rostrum with President Xi and President Putin. The National Intelligence Service also predicted that Chairman Kim would hold not only a North Korea-China summit but also a North Korea-Russia summit.
The National Intelligence Service forecast that through this visit to China, Chairman Kim aims to restore North Korea-China relations, secure economic support from China, and attempt to move away from a Russia-centric diplomatic approach. Additionally, it was assessed that North Korea is considering securing China's support regarding North Korea-U.S. dialogue and encouraging a change in the U.S. stance. On the possibility of North Korea-U.S. dialogue, the National Intelligence Service reported, "Although North Korea is unlikely to readily engage in talks with the United States, there remains a possibility that it will seek opportunities for contact while closely monitoring the U.S. position."
Regarding North Korea's dispatch of troops to Russia and related developments, the National Intelligence Service stated, "North Korea plans to send a third contingent of 6,000 personnel to Russia, and it is understood that 1,000 combat engineers have already arrived in Russia." They added, "The existing dispatched troops are stationed in the rear as reserve forces, and there is a possibility that the local leadership will be replaced." Regarding North Korean military casualties, the official figure stands at 350, but the National Intelligence Service reported, "Based on a comprehensive review with allied nations, the number of deaths has been recalculated to be around 2,000 at present."
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