'Dangerous Proximity' Next Cooperation... Will Putin Visit North Korea for the First Time in 23 Years?

North Korea "Putin readily accepted Kim Jong Un's invitation to visit"
Putin's last visit to North Korea was in 2000... If realized, first in 23 years
Explicit hints at arms deals... Korean Peninsula plunged into turmoil
South Korea-US response in dilemma... "Must win over China to shake alliance"

Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, who is visiting Russia, invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit North Korea, and President Putin readily accepted, according to North Korea's state media, Korean Central News Agency, on the 14th. If President Putin's visit to North Korea, promising military technology transfer, materializes for the first time in 23 years, it is expected to once again shake the security landscape of the Korean Peninsula.

According to Korean Central News Agency, after concluding the North Korea-Russia summit held at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur Oblast, Russia, the day before, Chairman Kim invited President Putin. The agency explained, "(Kim Jong-un) respectfully invited (Putin) to visit the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at a convenient time," and "(Putin) readily accepted the invitation and expressed his will to continue the history and tradition of friendship without change."

North Korea's Kim Jong-un holds summit with President Putin [Photo by Yonhap News]

However, North Korea's announcement on the day shows a subtle difference in tone from Russia's position. Earlier, Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, told reporters immediately after the summit, "There are currently no plans for President Putin to visit North Korea." He added that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui have agreed to meet soon, and the two could hold talks in North Korea as early as early next month.

President Putin, who is at war with Ukraine, has not traveled abroad since December last year. The last time President Putin visited North Korea was in 2000. If the visit takes place within this year, it will be his first visit to North Korea in 23 years. President Putin and Chairman Kim met again after 4 years and 5 months since their Vladivostok summit in April 2019, and declared strengthening military cooperation including arms deals.

Chairman Kim, especially during the dinner following the summit, openly sided with Russia, saying, "We are confident that the Russian military and people, who are engaged in a sacred struggle to create a stable development environment by fighting against the coalition of evil that claims hegemony and nurtures the illusions of expansionists, will surely achieve a great victory."

North Korea's Kim Jong-un holds talks with President Putin
[Image source=Yonhap News]

North Korea evaluated the results of the summit as follows: "In the joint front to crush the military threats and provocations, coercion, and arbitrariness of imperialists who seek to infringe upon humanity's independence, progress, and peaceful life, the two countries agreed to tighten strategic and tactical cooperation, strongly support and unite, and join forces." The imperialists identified as the 'common enemy' of North Korea and Russia are interpreted as targeting the United States.

Earlier at the North Korea-Russia summit, President Putin hinted at his willingness to support North Korea with 'satellite technology.' This means solving the issue of the 'military reconnaissance satellite,' which is the most urgent need for North Korea. North Korea is expected to provide conventional weapons such as shells and rifles to Russia, which is short of war supplies. Since the highest leaders of North Korea and Russia openly declared cooperation in satellite development, it is anticipated that North Korea and Russia will quickly proceed with implementation. If North Korea's reconnaissance satellite succeeds through Russia's technology transfer, the situation on the Korean Peninsula is expected to plunge into even fiercer turmoil.

South Korea and the United States are showing signs of struggling with responses while issuing strong warnings. The United States has stated that there will be a 'price to pay,' and the South Korean government is also known to be considering independent sanctions. John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the White House National Security Council (NSC), said the day before, "If they decide to pursue some kind of arms deal, we will certainly take action," and "We will not hesitate to impose sanctions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.