SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said his trip to Russia for an expected meeting with his counterpart Vladimir Putin is a "clear manifestation" of the North prioritizing the strategic importance of their bilateral ties, Pyongyang's state media said Wednesday.
Kim's remarks came as the leaders are expected to meet for their first summit in four years in Russia to discuss a possible arms deal as they seek to strengthen military cooperation.
The North's official Korean Central News Agency also confirmed that Kim arrived in the Russian border city of Khasan on Tuesday morning and has left for his "destination" without specifying details.
It remains unknown exactly when and where Kim and Putin would hold a meeting, though some foreign media reports said the summit would likely take place Wednesday at the Vostochny Cosmodrome spaceport in Amur Oblast.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un waves as he boards a train in Pyongyang on Sept. 10, 2023, to visit Russia to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in this photo released Sept. 12 by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
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