Earlier, the Kremlin had said the North Korean leader would hold comprehensive discussions with President Vladimir Putin.
Connected RIA News On September 12, the train was said to have passed through the Primorsky Territory from North Korea, with photographs showing a train with dark blue cars being pulled along the tracks by a Russian Railways locomotive.
Mr Kim Jong-un in an armored train on September 10 – Photo: Reuters
According to North Korean state media, Kim Jong-un left Pyongyang for Russia on September 10 on his private train accompanied by top military, arms industry and foreign minister officials.
Connected why Japan, citing an unnamed Russian official source, said on September 12 that the train carrying Mr. Kim arrived at Khasan station, the main railway gateway from North Korea to the Russian Far East. A South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman also said he believed Mr Kim arrived in Russia early the same morning Reuters.
Mr Kim Jong-un had previously made only seven trips out of the country and crossed the inter-Korean border twice during his 12 years in power. Four of those trips were to China. Mr. Kim’s last foreign trip was four years ago.
“This will be an official visit,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “There will be talks between the two delegations and then, if necessary, the leaders will continue to communicate in person.”
US officials, the first to disclose the visit, said arms talks between Russia and North Korea were progressing positively.
Connected TASS A Russian spokesman said Mr Putin arrived in Vladivostok on September 11, where he was scheduled to attend a plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum. This forum will run till 13 September.
Mr Peskov said the two leaders would meet after the forum and no press conference was planned.
Earlier, Pyongyang and Moscow had denied that North Korea would provide arms to Russia.
Washington and its allies have expressed concern over recent signs of closer military cooperation between Russia and North Korea.
It will be Mr Kim’s second summit with Mr Putin after they met in 2019 during the North Korean leader’s most recent trip abroad.
On September 12, the Interfax news agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko as saying that Moscow would transfer details of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s visit to Russia to Seoul if South Korea requests it.
“We have the Korean Embassy in Moscow. If they want, we can provide available information” – Mr. Rudenko said, adding that Korea is Russia’s trading partner and both have “benefits.” “Shared interest in stabilizing the situation in Northeast Asia and the Korean Peninsula”.
