[Liu Yuan, special correspondent of Global Times in South Korea] According to a report by Korean Central News Agency on the 14th, Kim Jong-un, chairman of the DPRK Council of State, who is visiting Russia, invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit the DPRK, and Putin readily accepted the invitation. This news immediately attracted the attention of South Korea, the United States and Japan. On the 14th, the heads of national security of the three countries telephoned the DPRK-Russia leaders’ meeting and expressed concern about the DPRK-Russia discussion on military cooperation. On the same day, South Korea, the United States and Canada held a military exercise in the western waters of South Korea, and the tension on the peninsula is likely to escalate.
"Changing the balance of power in Asia"?
Korean Central News Agency reported on the 14th that Putin held a reception for Kim Jong-un on Wednesday. Kim Jong-un said in his speech, "I am willing to work with President Putin to seek a century-old plan for stable and future-oriented DPRK-Russia relations in the new era, and rely on its power to vigorously promote the building of a strong country between the two countries and realize real international justice."
According to the report, after the reception, "Comrade Kim Jong-un solemnly invited President Putin to visit North Korea at his convenience". The report also said, "President Putin readily accepted the invitation and once again expressed his unswerving will to inherit the history and tradition of friendship between Russia and the DPRK." Korean Central News Agency said that the historic meeting and talks between Kim Jong-un and Putin promoted the strategic traditional friendship and cooperation between the DPRK and Russia and the good-neighborly and friendly relations to a new height.
RIA Novosti reported on 14th that Russian Presidential Press Secretary peskov confirmed the news that Putin accepted Kim Jong-un’s invitation that day. He said: "In one-on-one communication, Kim Jong-un invited Putin to visit North Korea. Putin accepted this invitation. After that, all coordination work will be carried out through diplomatic channels. " He also said that President Putin has no plans to meet with Kim Jong-un again during his trip to Russia.
Russian "Viewpoint" reported on the 14th that "the top leader of North Korea visited Russia to change the balance of power in Asia", and Russian experts believed that the Russian-DPRK leaders’ talks would lay a solid foundation for the further development of dialogue between the two countries. Strengthening cooperation between Russia and its Asian allies will help to establish a comprehensive front against western countries in the region. Tkachenko, a professor at St. Petersburg State University, said that the meeting between Putin and Kim Jong-un was a success. The two sides made it clear that they hoped to support each other.
Kim Jong-un will meet with shoigu?
Yonhap News Agency revealed Kim Jong-un’s next visit to Russia on 14th, saying that after the meeting with Putin, Kim Jong-un would go to Khabarovsk Krai in the Far East to visit the Russian aircraft factory.
According to reports, Kim Jong-un may arrive in Komsomolsk-on-Amur later on 14th local time, and visit Gagarin Aircraft Factory which produces Russian cutting-edge multi-function fighter Su -57 and civil aircraft on 15th. According to the report, this is the third time that a North Korean leader has visited Khabarovsk. Kim Jong Il, the late top leader of North Korea, visited Khabarovsk in 2001 and 2002, and visited the fighter plane factory.
Yonhap News Agency also said that Kim Jong-un is expected to arrive in Vladivostok at noon on the 16th, then visit the Russian Pacific Fleet Command, the Far Eastern Federal University and other places one after another, and leave for North Korea that night. South Korea’s YTN TV station believes that Kim Jong-un may hold separate talks with Russian Defense Minister shoigu on 16th, and the two sides are expected to discuss substantive military agreements and joint training between the DPRK and Russia.
RIA Novosti reported on the 14th that Russian Presidential Press Secretary peskov said in response to a question about how long Kim Jong-un planned to stay in Russia: "This is the privilege of the DPRK, so I will not answer this question."
Korean media claimed that "Russia crossed the red line"
Both Korea and the United States responded strongly to the DPRK-Russia talks. The South Korean government warned the Russian side on the 14th that if the DPRK-Russia military cooperation becomes a reality, it will have a very serious impact on ROK-Russia relations.
On the same day, at a regular press conference, South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Ren Zhuxuan said that the DPRK and Russia insisted on discussing military cooperation such as satellite research and development in the talks despite repeated warnings from the international community, and the ROK was deeply worried and sorry about this. South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo published an editorial on the 14th, saying that Putin’s support of weapons technology to the DPRK is a direct threat to South Korea, and it has crossed the red line that the ROK-Russia relationship can never be crossed, and it must pay a price for it.
On the other hand, South Korea’s opposition Common Democratic Party believes that the DPRK-Russia leaders’ talks are due to Yin Xiyue’s failure in foreign policy. The article published by the Korean National Daily on the 13th also criticized Yin Xiyue’s unilateral diplomacy. The article said that the friendly relations between South Korea and Russia, which lasted for more than 30 years after the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1990, were in great trouble. Some analysts believe that this is a misjudgment of Russia, which was caught in a military dilemma in the long war, and a tragedy caused by the interaction between Yin Xiyue’s hasty speech in the interview in April this year and the subsequent unilateralism "value diplomacy".
On the 13th, local time, the State Council said that if Russia and North Korea reach any new arms deal, Biden administration will "not hesitate" to impose additional sanctions on the two countries. Matthew Miller, a spokesman for the State Council, said it was "disturbing" that Russia talked about cooperation with North Korea on projects that might violate UN Security Council resolutions.