North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin at yesterday's meeting discussed military issues, the war in Ukraine and possible Russian assistance for Pyongyang's secret satellite program.
During a tour of the most advanced missile launch complex in the Far East, Kim asked numerous detailed questions about the missiles, media reported.
After the tour, 70-year-old Putin and 39-year-old Kim talked for several hours in the presence of ministers, and then had a one-on-one meeting. After the meetings, a sumptuous lunch was prepared, consisting of "peljmeni" meatballs made from crabs from Kamchatka, followed by sturgeon with mushrooms and potatoes.
Kim toasted Putin, the victory of "great Russia" and the friendship between Russia and Korea, predicting Moscow's victory in the "holy fight" against the West in the Ukrainian war.
"I firmly believe that the heroic Russian army and people will continue their victories and traditions and vigorously demonstrate their noble dignity and honor on two fronts - military operations and building a powerful nation," Kim told Putin. "The Russian army and people will surely achieve a great victory in the holy struggle to punish the great evil that aspires to hegemony and feeds the expansionist illusion," added Kim, raising his glass.
Putin has repeatedly hinted that they discussed military cooperation, but did not reveal details.
When asked by Russian media representatives whether Russia will help Kim build satellites, Putin said at the Vostochny Cosmodrome: "That's why we came here."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said yesterday that the two leaders discussed the possibility of sending a North Korean cosmonaut into space. Peskov also added that the foreign ministers of the two countries will meet next month in North Korea.
During the lunch, Putin and Kim addressed each other as "comrade", and Putin repeatedly reminded Kim that the Soviet Union supported North Korea - and was the first to recognize it, more than 75 years after its founding.
When asked about military cooperation, Putin said that Russia respects international rules, but opportunities should be explored.
After taking Kim through the building where the "hangar", a new rocket for launching into space, is being assembled, Putin said that Kim had shown "great interest in rocket development" during the visit.
The composition of Kim's delegation, which also included director of the munitions industry department Jo Chun-ryong, indicates that a key topic on the agenda was defense industry cooperation, according to analysts.
“There is a saying in Korea: good clothes are new clothes, but old friends are best friends. Our people say: an old friend is better than two new ones," Putin said to Kim. "This folk wisdom is fully applicable to modern relations between our countries."
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