The Russian delegation visiting North Korea is due to participate in festive events on the occasion of the anniversary of victory in the Korean War of 1950-1953. The Korean Armistice Agreement was signed on July 27, 1953.
During the Cold War-era conflict, Moscow provided Pyongyang with weapons and covertly sent a contingent of volunteer Soviet fighter pilots to the nation to counter the US Air Force.
"The DPRK often hosts foreign diplomatic delegations at such parades so the presence of the Chinese and Russian delegations is hardly surprising. What is new here is the presence of the Russian Defense Minister which suggests that Moscow might be considering reinvigorating its ties to the DPRK which has been put on the backburner in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union," Dr. Victor Teo, a political scientist who specializes in international relations in the Indo-Pacific.
While commenting on Shoigu's visit, North Korean state media emphasized that it "will significantly contribute to developing new, high level, strategic and traditionally friendly relations between the DPRK and Russia, firmly forged on the road of anti-imperialist independence."
Visit of Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu to North Korea
© Press Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
/ North Korea-Russia Relations
On July 26, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu held talks in Pyongyang with Democratic People's Republic of Korea Defense Minister Kang Sun Nam. During the meeting, Shoigu stressed that the DPRK is an important partner of Russia, as per the Russian Defense Ministry.
The Russian defense minister emphasized that Moscow's ties with Pyongyang have evolved following the Korean War. He noted that the bilateral collaboration included the visits of warships, official visits by high-ranking representatives of the defense departments, exchanges of delegations at the working level, and training of personnel contributed to maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
"I am convinced that today's talks will help strengthen cooperation between our defense departments," Shoigu said, as quoted by the Defense Ministry. He pointed out that the DPRK is "an important partner of Russia, with which we are connected by a common border and a rich history of cooperation."
Russia's minister of defense noted that the interaction between the two countries was strengthened in the post-war period. The visits of warships, official visits by high-ranking representatives of the defense departments, exchanges of delegations at the working level, and training of personnel contributed to maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
The DPRK has supported the Russian special military operation aimed at demilitarizing and de-Nazifying Ukraine since its inception.
North Korean politician and diplomat Kim Yo-jong, the sister of the nation's leader Kim Jong-un, hailed the fighting spirit and might of the Russian military. She particularly stated in January 2023 that the people of North Korea will always be standing "in one trench" together with the people and the army of Russia who "rose up to defend the honor and dignity of [their] state, sovereignty and security of the country."
"Engagement with North Korea would certainly provide an alternative avenue to help alleviate Pyongyang’s economic woes," Dr. Victor Teo stressed. "However, in order to help the DPRK meaningfully, any offer of assistance from either or from both China and Russia should seek to redress the structural economic problems in North Korea, and help the North Koreans build an economy that could be productive and self-sustaining. Providing one-off assistance would do little to improve the situation in North Korea."
Timing of Russian Defense Minister's Visit
The timing of the Russian defense minister's trip coincided with the escalation of tensions in the Korean Peninsula. The US and South Korean military forces have recently stepped up joint drills which are regarded by Pyongyang as provocative actions threatening the DPRK's sovereignty.
In a show of force, the US Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered fast attack submarine USS Annapolis arrived in South Korea on Monday just days after another US nuclear submarine - the USS Kentucky, an Ohio-class nuclear ballistic missile submarine – left the Port of Busan. Pyongyang denounced the deployment of US nuclear-powered subs, stressing that it could potentially consider it a sufficient basis for the use of nuclear arms for self-defense.
Tensions have been increasing over the past two years, after US President Joe Biden reversed his predecessor's peace effort aimed at mending fences between Pyongyang and Seoul. Then-US President Donald Trump brokered a preliminary agreement between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his South Korean counterparts Moon Jae-in. In response to President Biden's cracking down against Pyongyang, the DPRK resumed ballistic missile tests.