Kim Jong-un Boosts 'Bukreo Military Cooperation', Arrives in Pyongyang After Ten Days

Returned after 9 nights and 10 days of 'Bangreo schedule'
Longest absence since taking office
Military cooperation declared despite 'Security Council violation' concerns

Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, who had been absent for the longest period since taking power, has returned to Pyongyang. Through Kim's recent visit to Russia, North Korea and Russia declared the strengthening of comprehensive cooperation, including in the military sector, and blatantly hinted at the possibility of 'arms deals' involving the transfer of Russian technology despite international criticism over violations of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

According to the Korean Central News Agency on the 20th, Kim arrived in Pyongyang the previous evening by his special train. It was his return after 9 nights and 10 days since leaving for Russia on the 10th, marking the longest absence since he assumed power. The agency described Pyongyang Station as boiling with passionate excitement and praised Kim for "carrying out immortal external revolutionary activities that will shine forever in the history of strengthening and developing friendship."

The Korean Central News Agency reported on the 20th that Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, who had visited Russia, arrived in Pyongyang on the evening of the 19th.

On the 10th, Kim departed Pyongyang aboard his special armored train and held a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the 13th at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur Oblast, Russia. This meeting was the first in 4 years and 5 months since their encounter in Vladivostok in April 2019. It is presumed that the two leaders discussed the exchange of Russian military technology and North Korea’s conventional weapons.

Afterwards, on the 15th, Kim arrived in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Khabarovsk Krai, where he toured the 'Yuri Gagarin' factory that produces fighter jets and observed a test flight of the Sukhoi (Su)-35 fighter jet. On the 16th, near Vladivostok, he inspected Russia’s hypersonic missile 'Kinzhal,' long-range strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons, anti-submarine escort ships, and long-range cruise missiles.

Kim Jong-un (left) examining Russian strategic weapons during his visit to Russia, and Lee Jong-seop, Minister of National Defense, receiving a briefing on the operational use of strategic bombers at Andrews Air Force Base in the United States last November.

Notably, while inspecting the Kinzhal missile system, Kim appeared to stage a display seemingly aimed at South Korea and the United States. He personally handled the missile and was photographed alongside the strategic bomber, symbolizing North Korea-Russia cooperation. This scene was compared to the appearance of South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during the 54th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in November last year when they visited the United States. At that time, Minister Lee received a briefing on the capabilities and operational use of B-52 and B-1B bombers at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.

With North Korea also prioritizing the development and deployment of hypersonic missiles, Kim’s interest in Russia’s representative strategic weapons already in operational use was evident. It is also assessed that this was an attempt to reveal the possibility of strategic weapons cooperation between North Korea and Russia. North Korea claimed success after launching a hypersonic missile in January last year, stating through state media that it "hit a designated target within a 1000 km range." However, South Korean military authorities evaluate that the missile is not truly hypersonic.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and North Korea's Kim Jong-un hold a summit for the first time in 4 years and 5 months

Meanwhile, the next step in the 'dangerous cooperation' between North Korea and Russia could be President Putin’s visit to North Korea. Kim invited President Putin during this visit to Russia, and the Russian side accepted. First, Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are scheduled to meet as early as next month, after which President Putin’s visit to North Korea is expected to be discussed. The last time President Putin visited North Korea was in 2000 during the leadership of Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un’s predecessor. If the visit takes place within this year, it will be the first in 23 years.

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