Pyongyang [North Korea], September 12: On September 12, KCNA News Agency reported that Chairman Kim Jong-un of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea would arrive in Russia at dawn on the same day (local time) for a summit with President Vladimir Putin.
Chairman Kim "left North Korea at noon on September 10 to visit the Russian Federation" and was accompanied by senior officials of the Korean Workers' Party, government agencies and military representatives.
KCNA did not announce the location of the armored train carrying Mr. Kim in the morning news on September 12, nor did it mention whether the train had crossed the Russian border or not.
A day earlier, the news agency also confirmed Chairman Kim's trip. The Kremlin also released information about the visit.
North Korea's confirmation ended days of speculation after the US and other officials said that Mr. Kim was likely preparing to go to Russia and meet Mr. Putin in the city of Vladivostok to discuss bilateral issues, in That has weapons.
This is also the first time the North Korean leader has left the country since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out.
South Korea's YTN station quoted well-informed sources as saying that the meeting between the two leaders of Russia and North Korea will take place on September 13 in Vladivostok.
The Eastern Economic Forum event in the above city will close on September 13.
Mr. Kim's armored train with a speed of 60 km/h is expected to take about 20 hours to cross 1,100 km from Pyongyang to Vladivostok. The train is expected to stop for a long time at the Russia-North Korea border to change the wheels to suit Russian tracks.
Mr. Kim's latest foreign trip in 2019 was also to Vladivostok to attend the first summit with President Putin.
The White House recently warned that Pyongyang "will pay a heavy price" if it provides weapons to Russia while the war in Ukraine is breaking out.
North Korea's neighbor, South Korea, currently exports weapons and equipment to many countries and has sold tanks to Poland, Ukraine's ally. The Seoul government maintains a policy prohibiting the sale of weapons for use in war zones. However, South Korea is said to have provided ammunition to the US and its allies to compensate for the ammunition these countries provided to Ukraine.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
