Walking past huge intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) and previously unseen military drones, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un yesterday gave Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu a tour of Pyongyang’s newest and most advanced weaponry, state media reported.
After Washington earlier this year accused Pyongyang of supplying Moscow with weapons for its war in Ukraine, photographs in state media showed Kim walking Shoigu through a vast defense exhibition showcasing the North’s nuclear missiles and what Seoul-based specialist site NK News said were new uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Shoigu and a high-ranking Chinese delegation are in Pyongyang as Kim’s first-known foreign guests since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the country marks the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, which ended open hostilities and is celebrated as Victory Day.
Photo: EPA-EFE / KCNA
Kim and Shoigu visited the “Weapons and Equipment Exhibition 2023,” the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, showing photos that featured North Korea’s largest ICMBs — the Hwasong-17 and the solid-fuel Hwasong-18.
Kim and Shoigu had earlier discussed “matters of mutual concern in the field of national defense and security and on the regional and international security environment,” KCNA said.
The North Korean leader has been steadfast in his support of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, including, Washington says, supplying rockets and missiles — a charge Pyongyang has denied.
Photo: AFP / KCNA
During the visit, Kim told Shoigu “about the weapons and equipment which were invented and produced” under North Korea’s national defense plan and “repeatedly expressed belief that the Russian army and people would achieve big successes,” KCNA added.
Shoigu’s visit is noteworthy given that Russian defense ministers have not regularly visited Pyongyang since before the collapse of the USSR, experts said.
“Russia may need the potential of North Korean military industry in the realm of conventional weapons, while North Korea may be interested in missile technology transfers from Russia,” said Vladimir Tikhonov, professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo.
Despite the high-profile coverage of Shoigu’s visit, North Korea is likely to be “very careful” about providing Moscow with weapons for its war in Ukraine, Ewha University professor Park Won-gon said.
“If it is confirmed publicly, European countries would also turn adversarial,” Park said, adding that North Korea would prefer not to face additional sanctions. “So it will be careful, but it’s possible that Russia will seek more help in secret.”
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