North Korean leader Kim Jong-un left the Russian city of Vladivostok on Friday, having held his first summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin the previous day.
Kim’s train pulled out of Vladivostok at about 2 p.m. (Korean time) following a farewell ceremony. The train’s destination is unknown, but the North Korean leader is expected to head back to Pyongyang.
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Kim Jong-un (Yonhap) |
Kim was initially expected to leave the Russian city late at night after touring various military and public facilities in the city. Kim’s itinerary appears to have been cut short for unknown reasons.
He did, however, visit a memorial monument for Russia’s unknown soldiers and lay a wreath there.
In his meeting with Putin the previous day, he stressed his “unwavering” resolve to deepen Pyongyang-Moscow ties, while Putin called for a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue.
According to North Korean media, Kim also raised the possibility of US-North Korea dialogue falling apart due to Washington making unilateral demands at the second US-North Korea summit in Hanoi at the end of February.
That meeting, between Kim and US President Donald Trump, ended without an agreement. The two sides have since accused each other of making unrealistic demands.
North Korean media also quoted Kim as saying “the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula will depend entirely on the stance the US takes in the future.”
As for Putin, the Russian leader said North Korea must be provided with security guarantees in negotiations on denuclearization, and called for the resumption of the six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear issue.
By Choi He-suk (
cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)
