Kim Jong Un Wants Donald Trump Back, Élite Defector Tells BBC | BBC News

Aug 2, 2024 | Donald Trump returning to the White House would be “a once-in-a-thousand-year opportunity” for North Korea, according to Ri Il Kyu - one of the highest-ranking defectors.

Mr Ri escaped North Korea in 2016 and has since been face to face with Kim Jong Un on seven separate occasions. He says that North Korea still views Mr Trump as someone it can negotiate with over its nuclear weapons programme, despite talks between him and Kim Jong Un breaking down in 2019.

In his first interview with an international broadcaster, Mr Ri provides a rare understanding of what one of the world’s most secretive and repressive states is hoping to achieve.


As the old saying goes… ‘Birds of a feather flock together.’ – © Mark Alexander

Unification with South Korea No Longer Possible, Says Kim Jong-un

THE GUARDIAN: In a speech, the North Korean leader has called for constitutional change to identify the south as ‘number one hostile state’

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks at the Supreme People’s Assembly in Pyongyang, North Korea on Monday. Photograph: 朝鮮通信社/AP
North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, has called for a change to the constitution to identify South Korea as the “number one hostile state”, ending the regime’s commitment to unifying the Korean peninsula.

In a speech to the supreme people’s assembly – North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament – Kim said he no longer believed unification was possible and accused the South of attempting to foment regime change and promote unification by stealth.

In another sign of quickly deteriorating ties between the two Koreas, which ended their 1950-53 war with a truce but not a peace treaty – Kim said: “We don’t want war, but we have no intention of avoiding it.” » | Justin McCurry in Tokyo and agencies | Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Kim Jong-un besucht russisches Kriegsschiff

Sep 16, 2023 | Der nordkoreanische Machthaber Kim Jong-un ist bei seiner Russlandreise mit dem russischen Verteidigungsminister Sergej Schojgu zusammengetroffen. Neben dem Kriegsschiff hat Kim auch Kampfflugzeuge besichtigt. © AFP, AP

Timothy Snyder: Way to End Putin's War in Ukraine Is to Help Ukraine Win It

Sep 14, 2023 | Denmark has announced its largest military aid package yet to Ukraine, worth $833 million, as Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hold arms talks in the Far East. Yale University professor of history Timothy Snyder joins MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell to discuss.

What Possible Kim-Putin Deals Could Look Like? | DW News

Sep 13, 2023 | North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Russian President Vladimir Putin Wednesday for a day of talks that began at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East. The two leaders were at a remote Siberian rocket launch site, and began the day by inspecting a Soyuz-2 space facility. Later, the two lavished one another with compliments during a state dinner. …

‘Duo of Gangsters: Trump and Putin in Lockstep on Indictments

Sep 13, 2023 | Former CIA Director John Brennan, U.S. Special Correspondent for BBC Studios Katty Kay and MSNBC Military Analyst Barry McCaffrey join Nicolle Wallace to discuss the newest comments coming from the Russian leader - currently accused of war crimes - about Donald Trump’s indictments as Putin meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Putin Toasts Kim over a Six-course Lunch.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: After a closely watched two-hour summit in Russia’s Far East, North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia sat down for a six-course lunch intended to showcase the wide span of Russian cuisine.

According to a menu posted on the messaging app Telegram by Russian reporters who cover the Kremlin, the meal opened with two appetizers: a duck salad with figs; and dumplings, called pelmeni, stuffed with crab from Kamchatka, a volcanic peninsula on Russia’s Pacific Coast that is known for its wildlife. The first two courses were followed by a clear-broth soup called ukha that is usually made with trout, salmon or other fish; parsley; dill; and potatoes or other root vegetables.

A sorbet made from sea buckthorn berries served as a palate cleanser before the main course, a choice of sturgeon with mushrooms and potatoes or entrecôte beef with baked vegetables. » | Valeriya Safronova | Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Kim Jong-un Offers Putin ‘Full Support’ in Russia’s ‘Sacred Fight’ with West

THE GUARDIAN: North Korean leader backs Moscow in ‘protecting its sovereignty and security against the hegemonic forces’ that oppose it

Kim Jong-un has offered Vladimir Putin his support for Russia’s “sacred fight” against the west during talks that also touched on possible Russian help with North Korea’s space programme.

The North Korean and Russian leaders met on Wednesday at a space base in the far east of Russia amid warnings that Kim was poised to offer the Kremlin artillery shells and other munitions for the war in Ukraine.

Putin, who greeted Kim with a handshake and a lengthy chat outside the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the remote region of Amur, reportedly offered Russian help with the Pyongyang regime’s troubled satellite programme.

North Korea has made huge advances in its nuclear and ballistic weapons programmes despite years of UN-led sanctions supported by Russia, but it has fared less well in its attempts to launch a satellite.

It failed to put a military spy satellite into orbit in recent months, experts said. While Kim made the long train journey north hoping to secure Russian expertise in weapons technology, and potentially food and other aid, their first meeting for four years was a rare opportunity for Putin to welcome one of the Kremlin’s few international allies. (With video) » | Justin McCurry and Andrew Roth | Wednesday, September 13, 2023

North Korea's Kim Jong-un Arrives in Russia

Sep 12, 2023 | Russian officials rolled out the red carpet for Kim Jong Un after his armored train arrived in the country today ahead of talks with President Putin that are expected to focus on North Korean weapons supplies for Moscow.

The North Korean dictator was escorted past a military guard into a train station in Khasan, the main border crossing between the two countries, according to images broadcast by state media. There was a heavy security presence at the station. Kim, who was wearing a dark suit, smiled as he stepped off his train, which was pulled into Khasan by a red Russian locomotive.

The Kremlin has said that Kim and Putin will meet after an economic forum in Vladivostok, a port city in Russia’s far eastern region, which ends tomorrow. It has given no other details about the time and location of the talks, which come after Washington warned North Korean not to supply Russia with arms and munitions for use in Ukraine. Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defence minister, will also take part in the talks, Moscow has said.

What an Arms Deal between Russia & North Korea Would Mean Geopolitically | DW News

Sep 12, 2023 | The United States has warned Kim Jong Un not to strike an arms deal with Vladimir Putin. The North Korean leader is travelling by armored train to eastern Russia for a meeting with the Russian president. He is expected to seek Russian economic aid and military technology in exchange for munitions which would support Moscow's war against Ukraine. Kim is being accompanied by senior military advisers on what is his first trip abroad in three years.

North Korea's Kim Jong-un in Russia amid US Warnings Not to Sell Arms | The World

Sep 12, 2023 | North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived in Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin. Political and international editor at the Sydney Morning Herald, Peter Hartcher, tells The World details around the visit have been clouded in secrecy to protect their security.

Kim Jong-un Arrives in Russia to Meet Putin as US Threatens Sanctions

THE GUARDIAN: North Korean leader travels on armoured train for talks amid concerns Putin is seeking arms deal for Ukraine war

Kim Jong-un waves as he departs by train from Pyongyang for a visit to Russia. Photograph: KCNA via KNS/AFP/Getty
Kim Jong-un has arrived in Russia on his armoured train for a rare summit with President Vladimir Putin to discuss a possible deal to supply North Korean arms for the war in Ukraine.

The train arrived at Khasan station, the main rail gateway to Russia’s Far East from North Korea, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported on Tuesday, citing an unnamed Russian official source.

Kim, who is was reportedly accompanied by senior arms industry and military officials, could meet Putin on Wednesday after the Eastern Economic Forum in the Russian port city of Vladivostok, where Putin has already arrived.

Kim’s trip to Russia and meeting with Putin will be a full-scale visit to strengthen ties, the Kremlin spokesperson said. » | Justin McCurry in Tokyo | Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Pink leather armchairs and bomb-proof floors: inside Kim Jong-un’s armoured train: The North Korean leader’s preferred mode of transport is a slow-moving but luxuriously appointed dark green locomotive »

Related article here.

Putin’s Meeting with Kim Could Herald a New Era of Cooperation.

Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, with Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, in Vladivostok, Russia, in 2019. | Pool photo by Yuri Kadobnov
THE NEW YORK TIMES: When the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia four years ago in their only previous meeting, it was mostly for diplomatic show.

But this week he will meet Mr. Putin with the ability to supply something the Kremlin desperately needs: munitions that could help Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.

In return, Russia could give North Korea some of what it needs — food, oil or hard currency — and turn a relationship long limited to modest trade and public displays of cooperation into something more substantive. » | Paul Sonne | Monday, September 11, 2023

North Korea Will ‘Pay a Price’ If It Supplies Arms to Russia, Says US

THE GUARDIAN: Providing weapons to Moscow for Ukraine war will not ‘reflect well on North Korea’, national security adviser says, amid reports of active talks

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un toasts Russian president Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok, Russia in 2019. The US has said North Korea will pay a price if it supplies arms to Moscow for use in Ukraine. Photograph: 朝鮮通信社/AP
The US warned Kim Jong-un that North Korea would “pay a price” for supplying Russia with weapons to use in Ukraine, saying that arms negotiations between the two states were actively advancing.

Providing weapons to Russia “is not going to reflect well on North Korea and they will pay a price for this in the international community,” US national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at the White House.

The Kremlin said earlier on Tuesday it had “nothing to say” about statements by US officials that Kim planned to travel to Russia this month to meet President Vladimir Putin and discuss weapons supplies to Moscow.

Kim expects discussions about weapons to continue, Sullivan said, including at leader level and “perhaps even in person”. » | Reuters | Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Related.

North Korea Finds New Leverage in the Ukraine War

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Kim Jong-un is likely to seek missile and warhead technology in an expected visit to Russia, and he is already getting a public embrace he has long sought.

North Korea leader Kim Jong-un with Russia’s President Vladimir V. Putin in Vladivostok, Russia, in 2019. Russia has long been a crucial ally for the isolated North Korea. | Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters
For Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, a rare trip to Russia this month to discuss military aid for President Vladimir V. Putin’s Ukraine war effort could provide two things the North has wanted for a long time: technical help with its weapons programs, and to finally be needed by an important neighbor.

North Korea has not been used to getting a lot of attention other than global condemnation for its nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests. But Russia’s urgency to make new gains in the war is offering Mr. Kim a bit of the geopolitical spotlight — and a new way to both irk the United States and draw closer to Moscow and Beijing.

Though Russia has long been a crucial ally for the isolated North, relations between the two countries have at times grown tense since the disintegration of the Soviet Union. And Russia accounts for very little of the economic trade that North Korea needs; China alone provides nearly all of that.

Now, common interests and worldview are bringing the neighbors closer. » | Choe Sang-Hun, Reporting from Seoul | Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Kim Jong-un spricht von „Kampf um Leben und Tod“ in 2022

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Nordkoreas Machthaber Kim Jong-un versichert in seiner Neujahrsansprache, er werde die Probleme der täglichen Versorgung in seinem Land lösen. Zudem hätten Notfallmaßnahmen zur Bekämpfung der Pandemie „oberste nationale Priorität“.

Nordkoreas Machthaber Kim Jong-un hat zum Ende seines zehnten Jahres an der Macht die herrschende Arbeiterpartei und die Bevölkerung auf einen „Kampf um Leben und Tod“ im neuen Jahr vorbereitet. In seiner Rede zum Abschluss eines fünftägigen Parteitreffens in Pjöngjang stellte Kim am Freitag die wirtschaftspolitischen Ziele und die Überwindung der Versorgungsprobleme in den Mittelpunkt. Zudem müsse der weiteren Abwehr der Corona-Pandemie höchste Priorität in der Staatsarbeit eingeräumt werden, zitierten ihn die Staatsmedien am Samstag. » | Quelle: AFP | Samstag, 1. Januar 2022

Kim Jong-un’s New Year Resolution: More Food for North Korea: At a party meeting, Mr. Kim made little mention of the United States or South Korea. Instead, he promised to “completely solve the food problem.” »

En Corée du Nord, Kim Jong-un affirme que la sécurité alimentaire est sa priorité : Le dirigeant a mis l’économie au cœur de son discours du Nouvel An alors que le pays a connu en 2020 sa plus importante récession depuis deux décennies. »

Kampfansage aus Nordkorea: Kim Jong-un: «USA bleiben unser grösster Feind»

TAGES ANZEIGER: Nordkoreas Machthaber Kim Jong Un hält staatlichen Medien zufolge an seiner feindlichen Politik gegenüber den USA fest.

Vor dem Regierungswechsel in den USA fordert Nordkoreas Machthaber Kim Jong. Un mit neuen Kampfansagen den künftigen amerikanischen Präsidenten Joe Biden heraus.

Beim achten Kongress der herrschenden Arbeiterpartei in Pjöngjang bezeichnete Kim die Supermacht USA als «grössten Feind» und kündigte den Ausbau des Atomwaffenarsenals seines Landes an. «Die aussenpolitischen Aktivitäten müssen sich darauf konzentrieren, die USA zu unterwerfen», zitierten ihn die Staatsmedien am Samstag. Den USA warf er erneut eine feindselige Politik vor. » | sda/oli | Samstag, 9. Januar 2021

South Korea: Kim Jong Un Is 'Alive and Well'

THE JERUSALEM POST: "Kim Jong Un is alive and well. He has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13," South Korea's top foreign policy adviser said.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un is "alive and well," the South Korean government has said, according to CNN. "Our government position is firm," Moon Chung-in, the top foreign policy adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told CNN. "Kim Jong Un is alive and well. He has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13. No suspicious movements have so far been detected." » | Donna Rachel Edmunds | Monday, April 27, 2020

Kim Jong-un's Health Has Always Been an Issue

The Washington Post's Anna Fifield says that since Kim Jong Un came to power his health has always been an issue, in particular the risk of cardiac problems.

North Korea's Kim Jong-un Reportedly Near Death

The leader of the world's most secretive country is apparently close to death. The North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, has reportedly suffered complications after surgery. Speculation on his health started when he missed the celebration of his grandfather's birthday six days ago. CNN's Paula Hancock joins us from Seoul.