By Ju-min Park
SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare visit to Russia’s embassy in Pyongyang with his daughter on Friday and reaffirmed “the invincible alliance” between the two countries, while Russia’s leader greeted North Korean generals in Moscow.
Congratulating Russia on the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, Kim said North Korea would “consolidate and develop the long tradition of the DPRK-Russia relations, the noble ideological foundation and the invincible alliance”, state-run KCNA reported.
Kim has taken his young daughter to a variety of events recently, part of what South Korean intelligence views as plans for her to succeed her father.
North Korea’s unprecedented deployment of thousands of troops, as well as huge amounts of artillery ammunition and missiles, has helped Russia push back a Ukrainian incursion into its western Kursk region. It has also brought North Korea and Russia – both economically and politically isolated – closer.
More than three years after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia is marking the World War Two anniversary with a military parade attended by China’s Xi Jinping.
In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin greeted North Korean army generals with handshakes after hosting the parade.
Putin embraced Kim Yong Bok, a three-star general who is considered to be a key figure overseeing North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia. Kim is subject to sanctions by the United States, South Korea and the European Union.
“All of the best wishes to all of your warriors,” Putin said in video footage of their encounter.
Kim responded to Putin by thanking him for his “high evaluation.”
With Kim was Sin Kum Chol, another general blacklisted by the South Korean government over involvement in the war in Ukraine.
About 600 North Korean troops have been killed fighting for Russia against Ukraine out of a total deployment of 15,000, according to the South Korean intelligence.
In return, Pyongyang appears to have received technical assistance on satellites, as well as drones and anti-aircraft missiles, South Korea has said.
Pyongyang and Moscow have denied the weapons trade, although the two countries have confirmed the deployment of North Korean troops on the frontlines in Russia’s Kursk region.
(Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Philippa Fletcher)
