[ti:North Korean, Russian Leaders Meet to Discuss Military Aid]
[al:As It Is]
[ar:VOA]
[dt:2023-09-14]
[by:www.voase.cn]
[00:00.00]North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin met Wednesday at Russia's new spaceport in the Far East.
[00:11.48]Putin showed Kim the Vostochny Cosmodrome spaceport and discussed the possibility of sending a North Korean cosmonaut into space.
[00:23.43]After the tour, Putin and Kim talked for several hours about world issues and possible areas of cooperation.
[00:34.08]At lunch, Kim gave a toast to Putin's health, to the victory of "great Russia" and Korean-Russian friendship.
[00:44.06]He predicted victory for Russia in, what he called, its "sacred fight" with the West in the Ukraine war.
[00:53.95]Putin suggested that military cooperation was discussed but released few details. 
[01:02.20]Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu also attended the talks.
[01:08.13]However, Russian officials said sensitive discussions between the neighbors were a private matter.
[01:17.20]U.S. and South Korean officials have expressed concern that the rare meeting could lead to a deal to supply Russia with ammunition for the war in Ukraine.
[01:32.26]Concern about the two countries' military cooperation grew after Shoigu visited North Korea in July. 
[01:41.73]Kim then visited his weapons factories, which experts said aimed to support North Korea's weapons modernization and show military supplies for export to Russia.
[01:57.38]Putin is believed to be seeking North Korean supplies of aging ammunition and rockets from the time when the Soviet Union existed. 
[02:08.65]Such a request would mark a change from the period of the Korean War which lasted from 1950 to 1953.
[02:19.77]At that time, Russia gave weapons to support North Korea's invasion of South Korea.
[02:28.38]James Nixey is the director of the Russia and Eurasia program at London-based research group Chatham House.
[02:39.02]He said Russia cannot produce enough weapons for the war in Ukraine and any deal with North Korea would be to ensure that immediate needs are met.
[02:52.47]The decision to meet at the Vostochny Cosmodrome suggests Kim is seeking Russian help in developing spy satellites. 
[03:03.66]In recent months, North Korea has repeatedly failed to put its first military spy satellite into orbit.
[03:13.02]Official photos showed Kim brought Pak Thae Song, head of North Korea's space science and technology committee, and Kim Myong Sik who is linked with spy satellites and submarine-based nuclear ballistic missile efforts.
[03:34.84]When asked by Russian media that attended the meeting, if Russia would help Kim build satellites, Putin said: "That's why we came here."
[03:46.84]Putin told Russian state TV that Kim will visit two more cities in the Russian Far East on his own after the meeting.
[03:58.27]Kim is expected to visit an aircraft factory in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and then go to Vladivostok to observe Russia's Pacific Fleet, a university and other places.
[04:15.14]I'm Mario Ritter, Jr.