Kim Jong Un departs Pyongyang en route to Russia, South Korean official says
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North Korea’s leader is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
September 11, 2023, 4:58 AM
SEOUL and LONDON — A train “likely” to be carrying North Korean leader Kim Jong Un departed Pyongyang on Monday, beginning its journey to Russia for a possible meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a South Korean official told ABC News.
The train appeared to be “heading towards” Vladivostok, a port city near eastern Russia’s border with North Korea, the official said.
Putin on Monday began a two-day trip to Vladivostok, where he’ll attend an economic forum, Russia’s TASS news agency said. Neither country has publicly confirmed that a meeting will take place.
In this file photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves from a train before leaving Pyongyang Station, North Korea, for Vietnam, on Feb. 23, 2019.
Korean Central News Agency via AP
Discussions “are actively advancing” between Kim and Putin over a possible plan for North Korea to supply weapons to Russia, a U.S. official told ABC News last week.
Such a meeting would be “another indication of how desperate Mr. Putin is,” said John Kirby, spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council.
“But if they move ahead, then there will be additional repercussions for North Korea,” Kirby said. “The international community and the United States will look for ways to hold them accountable for that.”
In this file photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un pose for a photo during their meeting in Vladivostok, Russia, April 25, 2019.
Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS
Kim, who has led the secretive country since 2011, attended a military parade on Sunday marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the North Korean state, the government-run Korean Central News Agency reported.
The leader had met on Friday with a delegation visiting North Korea from China, a sit-down with “an atmosphere of deep comradeship,” KCNA reported.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Ben Gittleson, Shannon K. Crawford and Selina Wang contributed to this story.
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