Kim Jong Un leaves for Russia from North Korea by train, will meet Putin

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will visit Russia “in the coming days” after receiving an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin. This information has been given by the Kremlin. The statement said that at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chairman of State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Kim Jong Un will pay an official visit to the Russian Federation in the coming days. Earlier, Reuters had reported quoting South Korean media that Kim Jong Un appeared to have boarded a special train bound for Russia. Russia’s Interfax news agency previously said Kim Jong Un was expected to visit Russia’s Far East “in the coming days.”

South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported that Kim Jong Un left Pyongyang late Sunday night and would meet Putin on Tuesday morning. Broadcaster YTN reported that a special train would take Kim to North Korea’s northeastern border with Russia and that the summit was likely to take place on Tuesday or Wednesday. Both reports cited unnamed senior South Korean government sources. Japanese media reported that security had been stepped up at the main railway station in the Russian border city of Khasan, where Kim is expected to cross into Russia. Recent proposals have indicated closer military ties between nuclear-armed North Korea and Russia amid the Ukraine war.

The United States has also said that negotiations are actively progressing for North Korea to supply arms to Russia. The Kremlin said Vladimir Putin would be in the Far Eastern city of Vladivostok to attend the Eastern Economic Forum, but said it had “nothing to say” about Kim’s possible visit. North Korea has openly supported Russia since its invasion of Ukraine last year, while the Russian president last week pledged to “expand bilateral relations in all matters in a planned manner by unifying efforts.”