Putin visits North Korea, holds summit with Kim Jong-un,
A large banner welcoming Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, visiting North Korea on May 18 at Kim Il Sung Square. Putin’s visit to North Korea marks the first time a Russian leader has visited Pyongyang since July 2000, during the time of Kim Jong-il’s defense chairman period, after 24 years. Kim Jong-un, the head of state, and President Putin reunited after nine months since their summit in Russia in September last year. Yonhap News,
, “Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, made a state visit to North Korea. It marks the first visit to Pyongyang in 24 years since stepping foot in the city in July 2000 as a Russian leader. This is the third meeting between Kim Jong-un, the head of state, and President Putin. It is speculated that North Korea and Russia will elevate their relationship to the level of a ‘quasi-alliance.'”,
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, “President Putin arrived at Pyongyang’s Sunan International Airport after departing from Yakutsk, a region in the Far East where cooperative projects between North Korea and Russia are taking place late on the 18th. Kim and Putin are expected to hold a summit meeting on the 19th and sign agreements including elevating the bilateral relationship to a ‘comprehensive strategic partner.'”,
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, “In a presidential decree issued before his departure, President Putin stated, ‘I accept the proposal by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to conclude the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between Russia and North Korea.’ President Putin approved the draft agreement, allowing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make changes to non-essential aspects during the negotiation process.”,
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, “President Putin said in an article in the North Korean Rodong Sinmun, ‘Through our joint efforts, we will elevate our multifaceted cooperation to a higher level of mutual assistance.’ The Rodong Sinmun welcomed the new era of deep-rooted friendship and cooperation between North Korea and Russia.”,
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Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, who met with Kim Jong-un, North Korean head of state in September 2023. AP News,
, “If Kim and Putin sign a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement, it will elevate the relationship between the two countries to a strategic partnership where they cooperate without restriction on a wide range of issues for the first time in 24 years since the ‘Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation for Mutual Assistance’ signed in February 2000. There is speculation that they may revive the ‘Automatic Mutual Military Intervention’ clause included in the ‘China-Soviet Union Treaty of Friendship, Alliance, and Mutual Assistance’ signed in July 1961. However, diplomats believe that Russia, mindful of its relations with neighboring countries, may not advance to that level.”,
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, “Russia has comprehensive strategic partnerships with countries such as Vietnam, Mongolia, South Africa, and Uzbekistan in addition to North Korea. South Korea entered into a ‘strategic partnership’ with Russia following the visit of President Lee Myung-bak in 2008.”,
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, “The former allies during the Cold War, North Korea and Russia have rapidly come closer in recent years, but rather than having an official and continuous relationship, they are close strategically for the sake of practical interests. The current intimacy is based on a relationship of mutual need due to their common interests in building an ‘anti-U.S. alliance’ amid Russia’s war in Ukraine and North Korea’s accelerated nuclear development. It remains to be seen how long-term and substantial cooperation will unfold. President Putin will stay in Pyongyang until the afternoon of the 19th and after the summit meeting, he will participate in various friendly events before heading to Vietnam.”,
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, “Im Su-seok, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated, ‘Cooperation between North Korea and Russia should not proceed in a direction that violates UN Security Council resolutions or undermines peace and stability in the region,’ and added, ‘We have conveyed this position to the Russian side in the past.'”,
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, “On the same day, South Korea and China held diplomatic and security talks in Seoul. The ‘2+2’ dialogue involving the foreign and defense ministries of both countries was held to activate communication channels in the diplomatic and security fields between the two countries.”]