Russia’s Shoigu meets Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang over Kursk recovery, troop deployment

Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of Russia’s Security Council, met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang on June 4 to discuss the role of deployed North Korean troops, recovery plans in Kursk, and the situations in Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula.

According to RIA Novosti, the Russian Security Council stated that Shoigu and Kim discussed prospects for the recovery of the Kursk region, which Moscow claims was retaken from Ukrainian forces in late April. Russia has officially acknowledged that North Korean troops assisted in what it called the liberation operation.

Following the claimed military success, some analysts have speculated that North Korean soldiers may now be mobilized for postwar reconstruction in Kursk. Shoigu and Kim also reportedly considered specific measures to commemorate the “historic actions” of the North Korean military during the operation.

In a prior statement announcing Shoigu’s visit, the Russian Security Council said Moscow intends to “permanently honor the memory of North Korean fighters who helped liberate Kursk.”

North Korea reportedly sent over 11,000 troops to Russia in early 2023. After more than 4,000 of them were killed or injured, Pyongyang dispatched an additional 3,000 reinforcements in January and February of this year.

Shoigu’s Visit Coincides With Inauguration of South Korea’s New President

The Security Council also noted that Shoigu and Kim paid special attention to issues raised in a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin to the North Korean leader. The two officials thoroughly discussed global topics, including Ukraine, and future cooperation in line with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty signed by the two nations last year.

According to the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang, the meeting took place in a friendly and mutually respectful atmosphere. Shoigu and Kim also exchanged views on a wide range of issues, including bilateral cooperation, the Ukraine crisis, and regional dynamics surrounding the Korean Peninsula.

Shoigu’s visit, described as a short working trip, concluded with his immediate return to Russia. The timing of the visit, which coincided with the inauguration of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, suggests the two sides may have also addressed inter-Korean relations and the broader regional outlook.

With Russia and Ukraine having recently held two rounds of direct talks and conducted a large-scale prisoner exchange, attention is now turning to the possible repatriation of captured North Korean soldiers.

Shoigu, one of Putin’s closest allies, last visited North Korea in March to personally deliver a letter from the Russian president. This week’s trip marks his second Pyongyang visit in two months, again reportedly made at Putin’s instruction.

Focus on Ukraine and Potential POW Repatriation

Footage released by North Korean state media showed Shoigu being welcomed at Pyongyang’s Sunan International Airport by Pak Jong-chon, Vice Chairman of the Workers’ Party Central Military Commission, with a formal honor guard ceremony.

Just days before the Pyongyang visit, Shoigu met with Ri Chang-dae, North Korea’s State Security Minister, in Moscow. There, Shoigu expressed “special gratitude” for North Korean troops who, he said, “stood shoulder to shoulder with Russian soldiers to defend Kursk as if it were their own homeland.”

It is also believed that discussions included the possibility of a state visit by Kim Jong-un to Russia later this year. Last month, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said the trip was being coordinated through diplomatic channels.

BY MOOYOUNG LEE   [lee.mooyoung@koreadaily.com]