Russia has officially invited Kim Jong Un, the Chairman of North Korea's State Affairs Commission, to visit the country. The specific schedule for the visit will be coordinated through diplomatic channels between the two nations.
On September 24, local time, Andrei Rudenko, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, stated, "Chairman Kim has been invited to visit Russia," adding, "Russia will always welcome the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea with pleasure."
Rudenko explained that the exact timing of the visit will be arranged through diplomatic channels.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously requested a visit from Kim following their summit in Pyongyang in June 2024. The two leaders reportedly discussed the visit again during a meeting at the Victory Day celebrations in China last September.
Speculation about Kim's potential visit to Russia has persisted throughout this year. In July, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui visited Russia at the invitation of the Russian Foreign Ministry, leading to predictions of preliminary coordination for a North Korea-Russia summit.
Kim has visited Russia twice before, in 2019 and 2023, for summits with President Putin. However, both meetings took place in Russia's Far East, and Kim has never traveled to the capital, Moscow.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, reaffirmed in March that following Kim's reappointment, "Russia will always welcome the North Korean leader," confirming that the previous invitation remains valid.
Since signing a 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty' in 2024, North Korea and Russia have rapidly expanded their military and diplomatic cooperation. There are assessments that military collaboration has intensified, particularly in light of North Korean troop deployments related to the war in Ukraine.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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