North Korea says chief Kim Jong Un has returned residence from a visit to Russia the place he deepened a “comradely fellowship and pleasant ties” with President Vladimir Putin
ByHYUNG-JIN KIM Related Press
September 19, 2023, 12:33 AM
On this photograph supplied by the North Korean authorities, North Korean chief Kim Jong Un, middle, visits the Admiral Shaposhnikov frigate of the Russian navy on the Russian Pacific fleet in Vladivostok, the Russian Far East, on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. Impartial journalists weren’t given entry to cowl the occasion depicted on this picture distributed by the North Korean authorities. The content material of this picture is as supplied and can’t be independently verified. Korean language watermark on picture as supplied by supply reads: “KCNA” which is the abbreviation for Korean Central Information Company. (Korean Central Information Company/Korea Information Service by way of AP)
The Related Press
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea mentioned Tuesday that chief Kim Jong Un has returned residence from a visit to Russia the place he deepened a “comradely fellowship and pleasant ties” with President Vladimir Putin.
The official Korean Central Information Company didn’t give many specifics on the six-day journey that was Kim’s longest international journey since he took energy in late 2011.
Kim visited a number of navy websites in Russia and mentioned in dwell feedback final week that his nation provided “full and unconditional help” to Putin. KCNA additionally mentioned in an earlier report from his journey that Kim and Russian Protection Minister Sergei Shoigu mentioned increasing “strategic and tactical coordination” between the international locations’ armed forces.
His feedback and itinerary raised issues about attainable arms offers, through which North Korea might provide ammunition to refill Russia’s drained stock within the second 12 months of the battle in Ukraine in return for receiving Russian applied sciences to modernize his nuclear weapons arsenals. U.S. and South Korean officers have warned that Russia and North Korea would face penalties in the event that they go forward with such weapons transfers offers in violation of U.N. Safety Council resolutions.
The brand new KCNA report mentioned Kim’s practice crossed a border river on Monday morning, however did not say whether or not he headed to the capital, Pyongyang, or elsewhere contained in the nation. Earlier than touring to Russia, Kim made a number of visits to his munitions factories, triggering hypothesis that he meant to test on productions of arms to be shipped to Russia.
Whereas touring via Russia’s far japanese area, Kim met Putin at Russia’s most necessary house launch middle earlier than visiting navy websites to see a few of Russia’s most superior weapons techniques equivalent to nuclear-capable bombers, fighter jets and hypersonic missiles.
Many consultants say Kim would search to safe Russian assist to accumulate a complicated spy satellite tv for pc, a nuclear-propelled submarine and highly effective long-range missiles. However others say Kim would find yourself getting meals and financial help as a result of Russia is reluctant to share its delicate, high-tech weapons applied sciences with different international locations.
Kim has been pushing onerous to bolster his nuclear arsenal citing what he known as intensifying U.S. navy threats. Analysts say Kim would intention to make use of his enlarged arsenal to win better concessions from the U.S. whereas boosting his navy credentials at residence within the face of financial hardships deepened over the COVID-19 pandemic.
