Russian security chief seeks deeper ties with North Korea
The Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Sergei Shoigu, has arrived in North Korea, where he intends to meet with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un.
According to the South Korean news agency Yonhap, recent meetings between representatives of North Korea and Russia are occurring in the context of military support provided to Moscow by Pyongyang in the war against Ukraine.
Earlier this month, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko also visited North Korea. During his visit, he held talks with the North Korean Foreign Minister, Cho Son Hui, where they discussed organising "political contacts at high and the highest levels."
Another visit by Shoigu
In July 2023, when Shoigu served as the Russian Defence Minister, amidst issues with Russian weaponry, he travelled to the DPRK to negotiate the supply of ammunition. A year later, he returned to Pyongyang, this time as the Secretary of the Security Council.
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War note that Russia is increasingly relying on support from Iran and North Korea in the war against Ukraine. At the end of February, South Korean intelligence reported that North Korea had sent additional troops to the Kursk region in Russia, where a Ukrainian operation is ongoing. The precise number of soldiers remains unknown.
