North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met, Monday, November 18, with the Russian Minister of Natural Resources in Pyongyang, according to the official North Korean agency KCNA, in a context of strengthening ties between the two countries, particularly in the war in Ukraine.
Referring to a defense agreement with Russia that Pyongyang has just ratified, Kim Jong-un called, during his meeting with Minister Alexander Kozlov, to “further promote intergovernmental trade, economic, scientific and technological exchanges”according to the agency.
The meeting took place the same day as a delegation from a Russian military academy arrived in Pyongyang, according to KCNA, which did not provide further details.
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Western concern over Russian technological aid
The United States and South Korea have accused North Korea of sending more than 10,000 troops to Russia to support its war effort in Ukraine.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky assured on November 7 that North Korean troops had “took part in hostilities” and suffered “losses” in the Russian region of Kursk, bordering Ukraine.
South Korean intelligence also said Wednesday that North Korean troops were fighting in the region.
The West fears that Russia will send its ally technological aid in exchange that could contribute to the development of its nuclear program. At the end of October, Pyongyang carried out a test of what it presented as its new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the most advanced in its arsenal.
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