Kim Jong Un has pushed for greater ties with Russia and China to bolster his country's regional position and present a united front against the United States.
 "North Korea's Kim Jong Un welcomes Russian ties as Putin plans to visit")
Photo: BloombergAP Seoul
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday welcomed the country's expanding ties with Russia, amid reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin will soon visit North Korea for a third summit with Kim.
Since Kim Jong Un visited Russia to meet with President Putin in September last year, military, economic and other cooperation between North Korea and Russia has been rapidly strengthening.
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The United States, South Korea and their allies believe North Korea has supplied artillery, missiles and other conventional weapons to Russia in exchange for advanced military technology and economic aid to support Russia's war in Ukraine.
Kim Jong Un is pushing for greater ties with Russia and China to bolster his country's regional position and present a united front against the United States.
During a meeting in September at Russia's main space launch site, Kim Jong Un invited the Russian president to visit North Korea at a convenient time, and Putin accepted.
Kim Jong Un sent a congratulatory message to Putin on Wednesday to mark Russia's National Day, North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency said.
“Thanks to the meaningful talks at Vostochny Spaceport last September, the friendly and cooperative relations between (North Korea) and Russia have developed into an inseparable relationship of comrades in arms,” ​​Kim said in the message.
Kim's comments came after reports that Putin was planning to visit North Korea as early as next week, which would mark the third summit between the two leaders – their first was in Vladivostok in April 2019.
Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported on Wednesday, citing anonymous diplomatic sources, including a senior Russian official, that Putin is preparing to visit North Korea and Vietnam next week.
NHK reported that Putin is expected to seek stronger military ties with North Korea as Russia faces arms shortages in its war with Ukraine, while North Korea is thought to be seeking assistance with space technology after failing to put a second spy satellite into orbit in late May.
A similar report was published by Russia's Vedomosti newspaper earlier this week.
Neither Russia nor North Korea have confirmed reports of the travel plans.
According to the Russian news agency TASS, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a press conference in late May that the visit was being planned and would be announced at the appropriate time.
Russia and North Korea are at odds, with Russia at odds with the United States over its invasion of Ukraine and with North Korea over developments in its nuclear program.
Both North Korea and Russia deny the allegations of arms transfers that would violate several UN Security Council resolutions.
South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said in March that North Korea had already shipped about 7,000 containers of munitions and other military equipment to Russia. In return, North Korea has received more than 9,000 containers of what appear to be aid supplies from Russia, Shin said.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have risen again recently after North Korea launched balloons filled with garbage into South Korea and South Korea resumed propaganda broadcasts in the border area.
