N.K. special envoy meets with Putin
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Choe Ryong-hae, left, secretary of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, shakes hands with Hwang Pyong-so, vice marshal of the Korean People's Army, before his departure to Russia as a special envoy at Pyongyang Sunan Airport on Monday. /Yonhap
By Lee Jong-eun
A special envoy of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday and delivered a personal letter from Kim, the Kremlin said.
In a brief press release, the Kremlin said Putin met with Choe Ryong-hae, the Workers' Party of Korea secretary, who brought a personal letter from the North Korean leader. It did not provide further details of the closed-door meeting.
Sources said that the meeting lasted for about an hour. It took place after 7 p.m. local time, about two hours later than originally scheduled, because Putin came back to his office from a political event later than scheduled, they said.
Choe's meeting with Putin is the highlight of his eight-day trip to Russia.
He flew into Moscow early Tuesday morning, leading a high-profile delegation that includes Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan, Vice Economy Minister Ri Kwang-gun, and No Kwang-chol, deputy chief of the General Staff of the North's military,
Choe's trip here is seen as part of Pyongyang's efforts to reach out to Moscow for diplomatic and other support amid reports of strained relations with China.
This week, a United Nations committee plans to vote on a resolution against North Korea for its human rights conditions.
Co-sponsored by the European Union and more than 40 nations, it encourages the Security Council to refer Pyongyang to the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. Russia is a permanent member of the council with veto power.
Apparently, Pyongyang's traditional ties with Beijing are not as good as before.
Announcing Choe's trip last week, the North's state media did not elaborate on his mission.
Russia said later that three main issues would be discussed -- ways to make the Korean Peninsula nuclear free, security conditions in Northeast Asia and bilateral relations.
Choe, who doubles as a member of the party's central committee political bureau presidium, is one of the closest aides to Kim. He is known to be the second- or third-most powerful leader in the communist regime.
Choe also plans to travel to Russia's far eastern cities of Khabarovsk and Vladivostok before returning to Pyongyang Monday, according to the Russian government. (Yonhap)