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| In this photo released by the Khabarovsky Krai region's government, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, looks at a military jet cockpit while visiting a Russian aircraft plant, which builds fighter jets, in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, about 6,200 kilometers east of Moscow, Russia, Friday. AP-Yonhap |
Putin-Kim 'bromance' stands to counter China's influence
By Kang Hyun-kyung
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is being portrayed in South Korea's media as a "mil-deok," or a person deeply absorbed in all things that are related to the military, due to his keen interest in state-of-the-art weapons, as made evident during his recent visit to Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin took advantage of Kim's rare enthusiasm regarding nuclear-capable weapons to warn off countries like South Korea, which are siding with Ukraine in the prolonged war against Russia, according to an expert on Russia-North Korea relations.
"I think Russia's target audience is South Korea," Andrei Lankov, a professor at Kookmin University in Seoul, told The Korea Times on Monday.
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| Andrei Lankov / Korea Times file |
"It's sort of coercion, and Russia's message is clear," he said. "With those images and footage, taken and released by Russia's Ministry of Defense, Russia is trying to ring an alarm that South Korea will pay the price if it were to assist Ukraine with weapons. If South Korea helps Ukraine, Russia would help North Korea advance its missile and nuclear capabilities by transferring Russian technology."
Born in Russia, Lankov is one of the leading experts in Russia-North Korea relations, developing his keen insight into the two countries and their foreign policies, thanks to his lived experiences in those countries. After graduating from Leningrad State University, he studied at North Korea's Kim Il Sung University between 1984 and 1985 before he came to South Korea to teach at a university.
Kim's recent trip to Russia was filled with visits to military sites and his first-hand glimpse at Russia's strategic assets.
On Saturday, three days after a summit with Putin, Kim inspected Russia's nuclear-capable bombers, hypersonic missiles and warships. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu gave the North Korean leader a guided tour of the weapons.
Shoigu showed Kim the strategic bombers ― the Tu-160, TU-95 and TU-22 M3 ―, which are capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Shoigu also showed Kim the MiG-31 supersonic interceptor aircraft that is equipped with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles at Knevichi airfield, about 50 kilometers from the Pacific port city of Vladivostok.
The Kinzhal, or dagger, is an air-launched ballistic missile that is capable of carrying nuclear or conventional warheads with a 1,500- to 2,000-kilometer range while carrying a payload of 480 kilograms. It can travel up to 10 times the speed of sound.
In a photo released by a Russian media outlet, Kim, surrounded by Russian officials, was seen touching the front part of a MiG-31 fighter jet equipped with the Kimzhal missile.
He checked the aircraft thoroughly, displaying his keen interest in it.
Kim kept asking questions to Russian officials and sharing his knowledge about the weapons he was debriefed on at the Vostochny Cosmodrome before the summit on Wednesday. Putin praised Kim for his expertise, calling him an expert.
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| In this handout photograph distributed by the Russian Defense Ministry, North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, second from left, and Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, right, visit Knevichi Aerodrome near Vladivostok on Saturday. AFP-Yonhap |
The Putin-Kim summit was held weeks after North Korea's second spy military satellite launch failed to reach orbit.
Few details were made public about the hours-long summit held at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East.
United States and South Korean officials said Kim and Putin were likely to have agreed to an arms deal under which North Korea is supposed to provide artillery shells to Russia.
Moscow, however, denied this, claiming that no arms deals were signed between Putin and Kim.
It remains unknown whether the two leaders agreed on the transfer of Russian missile and nuclear technology to the North.
Lankov remained skeptical about the possibility of Russia providing technical assistance to the North.
"I doubt it because North Korea cannot afford to buy such high-priced space technology from Russia. There is not much North Korea can offer to Russia in return for technology transfer," he said.
He said it is likely that Kim and Putin would have discussed the possibility of increasing the number of North Korean laborers sent to Russia.
"Russia is grappling with shortages of labor force and demand for North Korean workers is high," he said.
According to Lankov, Kim and Putin have used the summit as a balancing act against China as North Korea can "diversify its trade partners," through a possible arms deal with Russia, if it were ever to be signed.
"The fact that Kim's first foreign destination after COVID lockdown was Russia means a lot. His choice of Russia over China as the destination for his first post-COVID summit is seen as a light level of provocation against China, because China would not feel good about it," he said.
Although North Korea heavily depends on China for trade, Lankov said that Kim is trying to prove that he is unaffected by China when making key decisions, such as which foreign leader he would meet first.
He said Russia also tries to use its relations with North Korea as a balancing factor against China.
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| North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un accompanied by Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and officials, inspects a Russian hypersonic Kinzhal missile on display at Knevichi Aerodrome near Vladivostok on Saturday. Reuters-Yonhap |
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