- Kim and Putin hold summit at Russia’s new space launch station
- “That’s why we came here,” Putin said of supporting North Korea in space
- The US and South Korea suspect that an arms deal for Russia is underway
- North Korea fires ballistic missiles for first time while Kim is away
MOSCOW/SEOUL, Sept 13 (Portal) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would discuss Pyongyang’s satellite program, and Kim said at their meeting that Moscow had his full support in its “holy struggle.” against the West on Wednesday in a cosmodrome in Russia.
Asked whether the two leaders would discuss receiving supplies from the north to replenish Moscow’s dwindling stockpile of arms and ammunition, Putin said they would discuss “all issues.” Washington and its allies believe defense cooperation is a key agenda item at the meeting.
“That’s why we came here,” Putin said when reporters asked whether Russia would help Kim build satellites. “The leader of the DPRK shows great interest in rocket building; they’re also trying to explore space.”
DPRK is the abbreviation for Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the official name of North Korea.
Opening the meeting with Putin, Kim said it was the North’s steadfast stance to further expand its traditional friendship and ties with Russia.
“I find it an honor that the President has prepared an opportunity to meet in a special setting at the launch station, which represents the heart of your position as a space superpower and gives us a deep understanding of the path forward,” Kim said.
Kim also told Putin that the Kremlin chief had his full support in the “holy battle” that Moscow is waging “against the hegemonic forces.”
“We will always support the decisions of President Putin and the Russian leadership … and we will fight together against imperialism,” Kim told Putin through an interpreter.
The summit between the leaders of the two increasingly internationally isolated countries is being closely watched by Washington and its allies, who suspect they could reach an agreement on arms and defense technology trade.
U.S. and South Korean officials expressed concern that Kim would supply arms and ammunition to Russia, which has used up huge supplies in more than 18 months of war in Ukraine. Moscow and Pyongyang have denied such intentions.
The decision to meet at the Vostochny Cosmodrome – a symbol of Russia’s ambitions as a space power – was notable given North Korea’s failure to launch reconnaissance satellites twice in the past four months.
“I’m glad to see you,” Putin said earlier as he greeted him at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, a modern space launch facility in the Amur region of Russia’s Far East. “This is our new cosmodrome.”
Kim has made launching a spy satellite a top priority as he pushes his nuclear-armed country to advance the development of ballistic missiles, drones and attack submarines.
Before his meeting with Putin, Kim wrote in the guestbook in Korean: “The glory of Russia, which produced the first space conquerors, will be immortal.”
Television footage showed Putin leading Kim through the facility. Russian state television said Kim asked Putin numerous detailed questions.
Russian media said Putin gave Kim a tour of the building where Russia’s new space rocket, the Angara, is being assembled. The 42.7 meter long booster carries payloads into low-Earth orbit.
Ballistic missiles were fired in Kim’s absence
Hours before the summit, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles from an area near the capital Pyongyang into the sea off its east coast, the South Korean military and Japanese government said.
Analysts said it was the North’s first such launch during Kim’s stay abroad, showing increased levels of delegation and more sophisticated control systems for the country’s nuclear and missile programs.
Kim has made only seven trips abroad in his 12 years in power, all in 2018 and 2019. He also briefly crossed the inter-Korean border twice.
Asked whether the leaders would discuss weapons, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the two countries were cooperating in “sensitive” areas that would not be made public.
On Tuesday, Peskov said the two sides would conduct “negotiations.” Humanitarian aid to North Korea and U.N. Security Council resolutions against Pyongyang could also be discussed, Russian officials said.
Kim arrived in Russia on a private train on Tuesday with senior defense industry and military officials and said his visit highlighted the “strategic importance” of ties between the two countries, North Korea’s state news agency KCNA reported on Wednesday.
The composition of Kim’s delegation, with the notable presence of ammunition industry department director Jo Chun Ryong, suggested an agenda heavily focused on cooperation with the defense industry, analysts said.
Kim could offer artillery shells from North Korea’s large stockpile that could replenish Russia’s capabilities in the short term, but questions about the quality of the ammunition could limit the overall impact, military analysts said.
South Korea and the United States have warned that such a deal would violate U.N. Security Council resolutions, which Russia voted to approve as a permanent member of the council.
North Korea is one of the few countries that has openly supported Russia in the Ukraine conflict, and Putin promised last week to “expand bilateral relations on all issues in a planned manner by joining forces.”
Reporting by Hyunsu Yim, Ju-min Park, Josh Smith and Soo-hyang Choi in Seoul, Kantaro Komiya in Tokyo, Lidia Kelly in Melbourne and Guy Faulconbridge in Moscow, writing by Jack Kim in Seoul. Edited by Gerry Doyle
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