Top Russian Official in North Korea    03/21 06:07

   

   SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- A top Russian security official traveled to North 
Korea on Friday to meet leader Kim Jong Un, after North Korea recently 
reportedly sent additional troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine.

   A brief dispatch by Russia's state-run news agency Tass reported that Sergey 
Shoigu, Russia's Security Council secretary, had arrived in Pyongyang, the 
North Korean capital, and plans to meet top North Korean officials including 
Kim. It gave no further details including what Shoigu would discuss with Kim.

   North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency confirmed the arrival of a 
Russian delegation led by Shoigu but didn't provide details on the purpose of 
their visit.

   Shoigu's visit comes after Ukraine and Russia agreed in principle Wednesday 
to a limited ceasefire after President Donald Trump spoke with the countries' 
leaders, though it remained to be seen when it might take effect and what 
possible targets would be off limits to attack.

   North Korea has been supplying a vast amount of conventional weapons to 
Russia, and last fall it sent about 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia as well, 
according to U.S., South Korean and Ukraine intelligence officials. In late 
February, South Korea's spy agency said North Korea appeared to have sent 
additional troops to Russia. South Korean media put the number of newly sent 
North Korean soldiers at about 1,000 to 3,000.

   South Korea, the U.S. and others suspect North Korea is receiving economic 
and military assistance from Russia in return for providing weapons and troops. 
Many experts say North Korea will likely ramp up its support of Russia to win 
as much benefits as possible from Russia before the war ends.

   Shoigu's trip could be related to Kim's possible trip to Russia, some 
observers say. In June 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Pyongyang 
and signed a major mutual defense treaty with Kim. At the time, Putin invited 
Kim to visit Moscow.

   In 2023, when Shoigu, then a defense minister, traveled to North Korea, Kim 
gave him a personal tour of a North Korean arms exhibition in what outside 
critics likened to a sales pitch. In September 2024, Shoigu, then with the new 
security council post, went to North Korea again for a meeting with Kim, and 
the two discussed expanding cooperation, according to North Korea's state media.

   Earlier Friday, KCNA said Kim oversaw the test-launches of new anti-aircraft 
missiles the previous day. It cited Kim as calling the missiles "another major 
defense weapons system" for North Korea.

   The missile launches, North Korea's sixth weapons testing activity this 
year, occurred on the same day that the U.S. and South Korean militaries 
concluded their annual training that North Korea views as an invasion 
rehearsal. The 11-day Freedom Shield command post exercise was the allies' 
first major joint military exercises since the inauguration of President Donald 
Trump in January, and the two countries held diverse field training exercises 
alongside the Freedom Shield drills.

   North Korea's Defense Ministry alleged Friday the recent U.S.-South Korean 
drills involved simulations to destroy underground tunnels in the North to 
remove its nuclear weapons. An unidentified ministry spokesperson said the U.S. 
and South Korea would face "the gravest consequences they do not want," if they 
perform similar provocative actions again.

   North Korea often churns out warlike rhetoric and threats of attacks when 
the U.S. and South Korea militaries conduct big drills. South Korea's 
Unification Ministry on Friday warned North Korea not to use its defensive 
drills with the U.S. as a pretext to launch provocations.

   Trump has said he's willing to reach out to Kim to revive their nuclear 
diplomacy, but North Korea hasn't made any public responses to Trump's 
overture. Many experts say Kim, now preoccupied with his support of Russia's 
war efforts against Ukraine, won't likely embrace Trump's outreach anytime 
soon, but could seriously consider it when the war ends.

   Kim and Trump met three times in 2018-19 to discuss North Korea's possible 
nuclear disarmament, but their diplomacy eventually fell apart due to disputes 
over U.S.-led economic sanctions on North Korea.