North Korean foreign minister's Russia visit fuels speculation of Kim-Putin summit

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui’s visit to Russia on Saturday fueled speculation that Kim Jong-un could soon visit for another summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The trip comes as both Russia and China appear eager to deepen ties with Pyongyang, with Moscow moving to reinforce its partnership after Kim recently elevated relations with Beijing through a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in June.

North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency and Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Choe and her delegation departed Pyongyang aboard a private plane on Saturday for an “official visit” to Russia at the “invitation of” her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.

The visit by North Korea's top diplomat suggests the two sides could be coordinating an agenda and schedule for a summit ahead of a possible trip to Russia by North Korean leader Kim.

Prior to this trip, Choe visited Moscow and met Putin in October of last year. During that visit, she also attended the Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security in Belarus, a trip that was later followed by a summit in Pyongyang between Kim and Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko in March of this year.

Kim and Putin have continued to hold what has effectively become an annual summit since their meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East in September 2023, with Putin then traveling to Pyongyang on June 19, 2024.

The two leaders also met in Beijing during China's Victory Day commemorations in September of last year.

As preparations for another summit gather pace, attention is turning to where the two leaders could meet.

One possibility is that Putin will travel to Russia's Far East in September for the Eastern Economic Forum, as he did during the 2023 summit with Kim. Another possible scenario is that Kim could travel beyond Vladivostok and visit Moscow for the first time.

Military cooperation is expected to top the agenda if the two leaders meet.

With Ukraine stepping up drone attacks, Russia continues to rely on North Korean support in the form of troops as well as ammunition, including artillery shells and missiles.

"North Korea can also send a strategic signal to both China and the United States by demonstrating that its close partnership with Russia remains firmly intact," said Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification.

South Korean intelligence authorities, however, reportedly believe Kim has yet to receive sufficient compensation for North Korea's troop deployment to Russia's war in Ukraine. Whether the two sides can bridge differences over that issue could become a key test ahead of a summit.

"Choe Son-hui's visit to Russia may also be intended to brief Russia on the recent warming of relations between North Korea and China," Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said. "North Korea is playing an increasingly important role as a key pillar of the partnership between North Korea, China and Russia, a partnership in opposition to the trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan.”

Before announcing Choe's visit, Russia sharpened its criticism of South Korea's expanding cooperation with NATO.

Russia’s deputy minister of foreign affairs, Andrey Rudenko, expressed "serious concerns" over Seoul's growing alignment with the alliance during a meeting with the South Korean Ambassador to Russia Lee Seok-bae, in what amounted to a diplomatic protest, according to a statement issued on Thursday by Russia's foreign ministry.

It is unacceptable for South Korea to become a “de facto” accomplice in NATO's qualitative and quantitative military buildup, as the alliance has openly declared its preparations for war against Russia, Rudenko said.

The deputy minister warned that such actions could pose a threat to Russia's security.

The criticism appeared aimed at countering President Lee Jae Myung's attendance at the NATO summit on July 7 and 8 and his proposal for an enhanced defense industry partnership between South Korea and the organization.

Experts, however, believe Moscow's criticism rang hollow, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was itself a key factor behind NATO’s accelerated military buildup.

"The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and military cooperation between North Korea and Russia are undermining international peace as well as security on the Korean Peninsula and in the broader region," South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. "Our cooperation with NATO is intended to strengthen our respective capabilities in a wide range of areas, such as the defense industry, advanced technologies and cybersecurity, and thereby enhance each side’s role and contribution to peace and stability in the international community.”

BY LEE YU-JUNG [[email protected]]