Russia's foreign intelligence chief visits North Korea this week

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un attend a meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, Sept. 13, 2023. Reuters-Yonhap

Russia's foreign intelligence chief visited North Korea earlier this week to discuss ways to bolster cooperation in responding to spying and plotting activities by hostile forces, Pyongyang's state media reported Thursday.

Sergei E. Naryshkin, director of the External Intelligence Bureau, visited Pyongyang between Monday and Wednesday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Naryshkin met with Ri Chang-dae, the North's state security minister, and working-level talks were also held between North Korean and Russian officials.

"At both talks, the two sides briefed each other about the views on the present international and regional situation regarding the Korean Peninsula and Russia, and widely and deeply discussed practical issues for further boosting cooperation to cope with the ever-growing spying and plotting moves by the hostile forces," the KCNA said.

The report did not elaborate on the details of the talks, but they are presumed to have exchanged intelligence on Russia's war with Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula.

A visit by a country's intelligence chief is usually not made public, but North Korean state media's rare revelation appears to be aimed at showing off deepening ties between Pyongyang and Moscow.

Following the summit between the North's leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in September last year, the two nations have been strengthening cooperation in various fields amid suspicions that Pyongyang has provided weapons to Moscow for its use in Russia's war with Ukraine.

In May 2011, the North's state media reported a visit by then Russian foreign intelligence chief Mikhail Fradkov to Pyongyang and his meeting with then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. (Yonhap)