Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of the Russian Security Council, arrived in Pyongyang, North Korea on Friday, according to reports from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and Russian media. This is Shoigu’s first visit to North Korea in over six months since September last year.
During his visit, Secretary Shoigu is expected to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Speculation suggests they may discuss Kim’s potential visit to Russia around the time of Russia’s Victory Day celebrations in May. It is also anticipated that North Korea and Russia will share information on the ongoing ceasefire negotiations between the U.S. and Russia regarding the war in Ukraine, and discuss Russia’s reciprocal support in return for North Korean military assistance.
However, the South Korean government assesses that there is a difference in tone between North Korea and Russia regarding Kim’s visit to Russia. When Russian President Vladimir Putin invited Kim to Moscow during their summit in June last year, North Korean media did not report the invitation.
North Korea also announced on Friday that it had successfully test-fired a new surface-to-air missile under Kim Jong Un’s observation. KCNA and other North Korean outlets reported that on Thursday, the military conducted a test launch to inspect the comprehensive combat performance of a new anti-aircraft missile system that had entered mass production at a munitions factory. According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea, the North first launched a cruise missile as a target and then intercepted it with the surface-to-air missile. “This marks the deployment of yet another important defense system with admirable combat capabilities to our military,” Kim stated.
Kyu-Jin Shin newjin@donga.com