North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is set to visit Russia in the near future, following an official invitation from President Vladimir Putin, according to a Reuters report citing the Kremlin on Monday (September 11). Earlier, South Korean media, citing unnamed government sources, had reported that Kim was on board a special train headed for Russia, where he is expected to hold a summit with Putin.
According to Reuters, the Kremlin issued a statement, saying, "At the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Chairman of State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Kim Jong Un, will pay an official visit to the Russian Federation in the coming days."
President Putin arrived on Monday in Vladivostok, a city in Russia's far east, to participate in the Eastern Economic Forum.
According to the South Korean local media reports, Kim appears to be on his way to North Korea's northeastern border on a special train, with the summit possibly taking place as early as Tuesday. The meeting could take place on Wednesday, according to the broadcaster.
Kim was expected to visit the Far East "in the coming days," according to Russian news agency Interfax.
When contacted by phone, South Korea's foreign and unification ministries said they had no information to share. The National Intelligence Service officials could not be reached for comment, Reuters reported.
The United States has expressed concerns over the possibility of North Korea providing weapons to Russia.
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, North Korea was one of the few countries that openly supported Russia. According to Reuters, Putin recently pledged to "expand bilateral ties in all respects in a planned way by pooling efforts".
Kim Jong Un's last foreign trip in 2019 was also to Vladivostok, where he held his first summit with President Putin after the breakdown of North Korea's nuclear disarmament negotiations with former US President Donald Trump.