North Korea leader Kim Jong-un to send a special envoy to Russia

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will soon send a special envoy to Russia, state media reported yesterday, in a trip expected to focus on how to boost ties at a time when Pyongyang faces deepening diplomat isolation.

The official Korean Central News Agency made the announcement about Choe Ryong-hae's planned trip but it did not give the trip's timing or exact purpose. Russia and North Korea maintain cordial ties, though they are not as close as they were in Soviet times, when Moscow provided significant aid and support to Pyongyang.

For North Korea, better ties with Russia could provide a much-needed boost to revive its economy as its ties with China - the country's longtime ally and main aid provider - are not as strong as they used to be. Beijing was angered when Pyongyang ramped up tensions last year with its third nuclear test and threats of nuclear strikes against Seoul and Washington. China has supported tightening of UN sanctions and cracked down on North Korean banking activity.

Russia, for its part, has been seeking to bolster ties with North Korea amid a lengthy effort to strengthen its role in Asia.

"Russia could be looking to increase its influence in the Far East as its relations with Western nations have taken a turn for the worse due to the situation in Ukraine," said Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea expert at Seoul's Dongguk University.

Choe's trip also appeared aimed at easing the country's diplomatic isolation, said analyst Cheong Seong-chang at the private Sejong Institute. He noted this week's announcement of a free-trade agreement between rival South Korea and China.