Putin in Pyongyang? Proposed trip to meet Kim Jong-un reveals Russia’s growing reliance on North Korea

The mooted meeting would mark the Russian president’s first visit to the North Korean capital in decades amid both countries’ international isolation

Analysts say Moscow’s backing has emboldened Pyongyang to challenge Washington and Seoul – and could ‘redress’ the military balance on the peninsula

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un meets Vladimir Putin in Russia in September last year. Photo: KCNA via Reuters

Published: 9:30am, 29 Jan 2024Updated: 12:50pm, 31 Jan 2024

Vladimir Putin’s coming meeting with Kim Jong-un highlights the Russian president’s “limited travel options” – and an increasingly emboldened North Korea – amid both countries’ international isolation, analysts said.

While the meeting will highlight Russia’s increasing “supplicant” status vis-à-vis North Korea, the analysts said both sides might paradoxically contribute to stability on the Korean peninsula as their growing military ties could effectively counter the burgeoning US-South Korea alliance.

During a meeting with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui in Moscow last week, Putin expressed his “willingness” to visit Pyongyang soon to meet supreme leader Kim, North Korean state news agency KCNA reported on Sunday.

If confirmed, the visit to Pyongyang would be Putin’s first since he travelled to the capital more than 23 years ago for talks with Kim’s late father, Kim Jong-il.

Putin’s visit points to his “limited options” for overseas travel following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, said Ramon Pacheco Pardo, KF-VUB Korea chair at the Brussels School of Governance. The trip would help Kim signal to China that he is a leader “who still has partners”, Pardo added.

“Since it seems that [Chinese President] Xi Jinping is not as willing as Putin to openly side with Kim, this is especially important for the North Korean leader”, Pardo said.