North Korean leader Kim Jong Un greets children as he attends a performance, in this image released by North Korea鈥檚 Korean Central 黑料社 Agency on July 27, 2023. (KCNA via REUTERS)
SEOUL聽 鈥� Russia鈥檚 defense minister accompanied North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to a defense exhibition that featured the North鈥檚 banned ballistic missiles as the neighbors pledged to boost ties, North Korean state media reported on Thursday.
The Russian minister, Sergei Shoigu, and a Chinese delegation led by a Communist Party politburo member arrived in North Korea this week for the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War celebrated in North Korea as 鈥淰ictory Day鈥�.
The nuclear-capable missiles were banned under U.N. Security Council resolutions adopted with Russian and Chinese support but this week they provided a striking backdrop for a show of solidarity by three countries united by their rivalry with the U.S. and a revival of what some analysts see as their Cold War-era coalition.
Shoigu is making the first visit by a Russian defense minister to North Korea since the fall of the Soviet Union.
For North Korea, the arrival of the Russian and Chinese delegations marks its first major opening up to the world since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shoigu gave Kim a letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean media reported.
Kim thanked Putin for sending the military delegation led by Shoigu, saying the visit had deepened the 鈥渟trategic and traditional鈥� relations between North Korea and Russia.
鈥�(Kim) expressed his views on the issues of mutual concern in the struggle to safeguard the sovereignty, development and interests of the two countries from the high-handed and arbitrary practices of the imperialists and to realize international justice and peace,鈥� North Korean media said.
鈥淗e repeatedly expressed belief that the Russian army and people would achieve big successes in the struggle for building a powerful country,鈥� it said.
KCNA did not refer to the war in Ukraine but North Korea鈥檚 defense minister, Kang Sun Nam, was reported as saying North Korea fully supported Russia鈥檚 鈥渂attle for justice鈥� and to protect its sovereignty.
Kim led Shoigu on a tour of an exhibition of new weapons and military equipment, KCNA said.
State media photographs showed Kim and his guests at a display of some of the North鈥檚 ballistic missiles in multi-axle transporter launchers. Another image showed what analysts said appeared to be a new drone.
One analyst said Shoigu鈥檚 inspection of the North Korean missiles visit suggested Russian acceptance of North Korea鈥檚 nuclear program.
鈥淲e鈥檝e come a long way from when North Korea would avoid showing off its nuclear capabilities when senior foreign dignitaries from Russia and China were in town,鈥� said Ankit Panda of the U.S.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, calling the tour 鈥渞emarkable鈥�.
鈥淭he personal tour for Shoigu 鈥� and Shoigu鈥檚 willingness to be photographed with Kim in the course of this tour 鈥� is evidence that Moscow is complacent with North Korea鈥檚 ongoing nuclear modernization,鈥� he said.
Kim also met Chinese Communist Party Politburo member Li Hongzhong for talks and was handed a letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping, North Korean media reported.
The visit by Li鈥檚 delegation showed Xi鈥檚 commitment to 鈥渁ttach great importance to the DPRK-China friendship,鈥� Kim was quoted as saying by the North鈥檚 KCNA state news agency, referring to the North the initial of its official name, the Democratic People鈥檚 Republic of Korea.
State media photographs showed Kim at a large flashy performance flanked by Shoigu and Li, with a backdrop that included a slogan used by the Chinese army during the Korean War vowing to 鈥渞esist U.S. aggressors.鈥�
鈥楴O SECRET鈥�
The Russian visit raises the prospect of more open support for North Korea, especially with Russia isolated by the West over is invasion of Ukraine, analysts said.
Artyom Lukin, a professor at Russia鈥檚 Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, said simultaneous visits to Pyongyang of high-ranking officials from Moscow and Beijing is another sign of a revival of the Russian-Chinese-North Korean coalition that originally existed in the late 1940s and 1950s, though now likely to be led from Beijing rather than Moscow.
Shoigu鈥檚 appearance at the military expo exhibiting the ICBMs is a 鈥渧ery ambivalent gesture鈥� given that Russia stays formally committed to the UNSC resolutions banning North Korea鈥檚 nuclear and missile programs, he said.
鈥淚t may signify that the current geopolitical circumstances are starting to erode Russia鈥檚 long-standing interest in preserving the global non-proliferation regime,鈥� Lukin added.
Last year, North Korea codified a new, expansive nuclear law declaring its status as a nuclear-armed state 鈥渋rreversible鈥�.
This month, it threatened nuclear retaliation over a show of force by the United States, saying the deployment of strategic military assets near the Korean peninsula could meet criteria for its use of nuclear weapons.
South Korea鈥檚 foreign ministry noted it had been Russia鈥檚 official position to oppose North Korea鈥檚 nuclear program and said it hoped the visit by Shoigu鈥檚 delegation would help the North return to dialogue.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Russia鈥檚 overtures to North Korea comes as the Kremlin struggles to procure arms.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been no secret 鈥� Mr Putin is reaching out to other countries for help and support in fighting his war in Ukraine. And that includes, we know, some outreach to the DPRK,鈥� he said.
North Korea has backed the Kremlin over its war with Ukraine and has shipped weapons including infantry rockets and missiles in support of Russia鈥檚 war, the White House has said.
North Korea and Russia deny they have conducted arms transactions.