North Korean officials travel to Moscow ahead of possible Russia-Ukraine peace deal

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North Korean officials travel to Moscow ahead of possible Russia-Ukraine peace deal

Published: 19 Mar. 2025, 17:55 Updated: 19 Mar. 2025, 18:57

SEO JI-EUN
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Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and Russia's President Vladimir Putin on the phone [AFP/YONHAP]

Pyongyang is intensifying its diplomatic outreach to Moscow as U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin advanced peace talks for a ceasefire on the Russia-Ukraine war Tuesday, dispatching economic and health delegations to Russia.

The move fueled speculation that Pyongyang is positioning itself to demand compensation for its military support to Moscow — ranging from weapons supplies to troop deployments — throughout the conflict.

North Korea’s state-run Rodong Sinmun reported on Wednesday that a government delegation led by Minister of External Economic Relations Yun Jong-ho, who also chairs the North Korea-Russia Inter-Governmental Committee for Cooperation in Trade, Economy, Science and Technology, had left for Russia the previous day.

While the newspaper did not specify the delegation’s objectives, analysts widely believe the visit is linked to the war-ending roadmap shaped by Trump and Putin.

Trump and Putin reached the agreement during a phone call on Tuesday, during which Putin agreed to temporarily halt strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure targets. The White House described the decision as part of the “movement to peace.”

A separate working-level delegation from North Korea's Ministry of Public Health, led by Vice Minister Jon Sol-ryong, also traveled to Russia on Monday, according to Rodong Sinmun. The visit comes as North Korea struggles with chronic underfunding of its healthcare sector, worsened by international sanctions.

Despite completing the construction of the Pyongyang General Hospital — a key project pushed by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un — its opening has been delayed until October. Images released by North Korean state media reveal an apparent lack of medical equipment, suggesting that Pyongyang may be struggling to acquire the necessary supplies, perhaps the reason why it reached out to Moscow.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin after signing a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty during the latter's visit to Pyongyang on June 18, 2024. [NEWS1]

Recent reports also suggested Kim may seek direct talks with Putin to negotiate a postwar settlement.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Jong-gu in Pyongyang on Saturday, according to TASS, Russia’s state news agency.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said the discussions included the “timeline of political contacts at the high and top levels,” potentially referring to Kim and Putin.

Russia has invited North Korean troops to participate in its Victory Day celebrations in May, adding to expectations that Kim could visit Moscow. The invitation follows Putin’s personal request for Kim to visit the Russian capital after their summit in June 2024 in Pyongyang.

Despite strengthening ties with Moscow, Pyongyang faces potential obstacles.

As part of their ceasefire deal, Trump and Putin agreed to include strategic weapons non-proliferation in the negotiations — a move that could hinder North Korea’s efforts to secure advanced military technology from Russia.

North Korea has sought Russian support in acquiring reconnaissance satellite capabilities and strategic nuclear submarine (SSBN) technology. However, as a recognized nuclear power within the Permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, or P5 — along with the United States, China, Britain and France — Russia is unlikely to openly support North Korea’s nuclear ambitions while engaged in arms control negotiations with Washington.

“Russia will reassess North Korea’s strategic value as it renegotiates its relationship with the United States through the ceasefire process,” said Oh Gyeong-seob, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification. “However, when it comes to sharing strategic weapons technology — which is what North Korea wants — there are clear limits to what Pyongyang can expect from Moscow.”

As North Korea positions itself for postwar gains, its forces played a crucial role in Russia’s recent success in retaking Kursk, a key region previously held by Ukrainian forces, according to a report by the Washington Post on Tuesday.

Russia secured air superiority over Kursk earlier this year, deploying drone warfare and large-scale troops to cut off Ukrainian supply lines. The reappearance of North Korean troops in early February proved decisive, according to the Post.

Pyongyang initially deployed around 11,000 infantry soldiers to Russia in October 2024, but Ukrainian sources claim that specialized North Korean units have since been sent, strengthening Moscow’s battlefield capabilities. These newer forces reportedly operate under independent command structures and have refined their attack strategies based on prior combat experience.

Operating in small, highly mobile groups, North Korean troops worked alongside Russia’s elite forces to outnumber Ukrainian troops and helped capture the village of Sverdlikovo, a key logistics hub in Russia's Kursk Oblast.

Ukrainian soldiers have acknowledged the combat skills of North Korean forces.

“Russians have strong and good allies. They [North Koreans] came just in time,” said an officer who has overseen intelligence operations in the Kursk region since August named Oleksandr. “Our infantry is not as fast as it was at the beginning of the war. Both of our armies are tired.”

One serviceman named Artem, who reportedly obtained North Korean battle maps, described its level of detail as “perfectly marked.”

“It felt like something from a bygone era — like a Soviet-style, ultra-structured military approach,” he said as quoted by the Post. “Each line was meticulously drawn, as if by someone who had spent their entire life training for this.”

BY CHUNG YEONG-KYO,SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]