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Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) shakes hands with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on July 19 (local time). / Courtesy of AFP, Yonhap News

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, who is visiting Russia, on July 19 (local time) to express his gratitude for North Korea's troop deployment and military support. The move is interpreted as an effort to secure continued military assistance from North Korea amidst the prolonged war in Ukraine.

According to Russia's TASS news agency, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated regarding the meeting between President Putin and Foreign Minister Choe, "President Putin once again expressed his gratitude to the North Korean leadership for assisting in the execution of the special military operation," adding, "The achievements of the North Korean military in supporting the Russian forces will never be forgotten." President Putin also conveyed his warm regards to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, noting, "We deeply value the profound mutual understanding between our two nations."

In response, the South Korean government is closely monitoring the contact between Pyongyang and Moscow. Yoon Min-ho, spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification, stated during a regular press briefing that day, "As the specific agenda between North Korea and Russia has not been disclosed, we will continue to monitor the situation," assessing that "the trend of deepening alignment between Pyongyang and Beijing, as well as Pyongyang and Moscow, remains ongoing."

Foreign Minister Choe's visit to Russia comes about nine months after her last trip, following an invitation from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Analysts suggest that as the war in Ukraine persists, Russia faces a growing need to stably secure additional troops and military supplies from North Korea.

There is also a possibility that the meeting reflects Russia's need to maintain its grip on North Korea, which has recently been accelerating efforts to restore relations with China. President Putin's repeated expressions of gratitude for North Korea's war contributions are interpreted within this context.

On the other hand, observations suggest that North Korea has reached a point where it can start presenting its bill for the troop deployment and military supplies. Analysts speculate that Foreign Minister Choe may use this visit to discuss compensation for the troop support and to coordinate a potential visit by Kim Jong-un to Russia.

At the 9th Party Congress held earlier this year, North Korea proclaimed the enhancement and modernization of its nuclear, conventional, and naval forces, and initiated related projects. As Russian military technology assistance is vital for upgrading its weapon systems, experts evaluate that North Korea is highly likely to demand advanced military technology transfers and economic support in return for its troop deployment.

However, some interpret Foreign Minister Choe's latest visit to Russia as an extension of existing high-level exchanges between the two nations, serving as a diplomatic maneuver to jointly counter South Korea-U.S.-Japan trilateral cooperation and international pressure. This marks the first North Korea-Russia foreign ministers' meeting in approximately nine months, since October last year.

Ryu Hyun-woo, former North Korean Charge d'Affaires to Kuwait, analyzed, "The frequent high-level exchanges between North Korea and Russia likely serve to facilitate smooth communication between the two countries," adding, "For North Korea, having Russia and China as backstoppers is necessary to respond to recent South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation and denuclearization pressure from Europe, including NATO."

Regarding the possibility of a visit by Kim Jong-un to Russia, he noted, "We need to check whether officials from the Secretariat, such as Hyon Song-wol, are included in this delegation. If Secretariat officials did not accompany her, it is difficult to see Kim's visit to Russia as having materialized."

                                                                                                           Mok Yong-jae