Seoul, Jul 9 (AP) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is set to visit North Korea for three days starting Friday, highlighting the strengthening ties between the countries during Russia's ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as reported by state media. The Korean Central News Agency of North Korea announced that Lavrov was invited by the country's Foreign Ministry. However, details remain scant, including whether he will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The visit follows a trip in June by Russia's top security official, Sergei Shoigu, who met with Kim in Pyongyang. Post-visit, Shoigu stated that North Korea had agreed to send thousands of military construction workers and deminers to Russia's Kursk region to assist in reconstruction efforts. South Korea's spy agency has assessed that this deployment could happen as early as July or August.
Kim Jong Un has previously sent numerous combat troops and substantial military equipment, such as artillery and ballistic missiles, to assist in prolonging Russia’s war efforts against Ukraine. The North Korean announcement coincided with Lavrov's journey to Malaysia for a meeting with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Some South Korean analysts suggest that discussions may include arranging a visit by Kim to Russia.
Lavrov’s last visit to North Korea was in June 2024 when he accompanied President Vladimir Putin to a summit with Kim in Pyongyang. During the summit, the leaders signed a strategic partnership agreement, pledging mutual aid in the event of aggression against either nation.
Both Pyongyang and Moscow denied North Korean troop involvement in the Ukraine conflict until April, when they simultaneously acknowledged the participation of North Korean soldiers in repelling a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk border region. Although the two countries have not disclosed the exact number of North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia, officials from South Korea, the U.S., and Ukraine estimated that North Korea sent around 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia last autumn, with an additional 3,000 to 4,000 soldiers deployed earlier this year.
Officials from the U.S., South Korea, and Japan have voiced concerns that Kim Jong Un might seek significant technology transfers from Russia in exchange, potentially boosting the threat from his military nuclear program. (AP) NSA NSA
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