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North Korea’s state-run Korea Central News Agency reported on Sept. 12 that leader Kim Jong-un had departed from Pyongyang on his private train on Sept. 10 for a trip to Russia. (Yonhap)

Kim Jong-un is being accompanied by numerous key figures in the North Korean military during his visit to Russia.

On Tuesday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim had “left [Pyongyang] by his train on Sunday afternoon to visit the Russian Federation.”

“He will be accompanied by leading officials of the Party, government and armed forces organs,” it added.

A picture released by the agency showed North Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Choe Son-hui together with the top two figures in the North Korean military hierarchy: Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Ri Pyong-chol, and top military official Pak Jong-chon.

Also present were WPK secretary Pak Thae-song, an individual who appeared to be Korean People’s Navy Commander Kim Myong-sik, and WPK Munitions Industry Department Director Jo Chun-ryong. These individuals are in charge of the areas of military cooperation expected to make up the central agenda for the North Korea-Russia summit.

Pak Thae-song chairs the non-permanent space science and technology committee established by North Korea for its launch of a military reconnaissance satellite. He and Kim Myong-sik handle duties related to the satellite and nuclear-powered submarine technology that Pyongyang hopes to obtain from Russia.

Jo Chun-yong is in charge of duties related to the artillery that North Korea could potentially provide to Russia in exchange for advanced military technology.

The fact that Kim is being accompanied on his Russia visit by numerous senior military and munitions industry officials such as Ri and Pak Jong-chon gives a sense of what the focus of the North Korea-Russia summit will be.

Other figures included in the delegation were Air Force Commander Kim Kwang-hyok, WPK secretary O Su-yong, and Cabinet Vice Premier Pak Hun. Cabinet Premier Kim Tok-hun was among those seeing Kim Jong-un off on his trip to Russia.

Prior to their departure, Kim Jong-un and the other delegation members individually shook hands with officials standing along a red carpet. Kim Yo-jong, whose official title is WPK vice department director, was seen standing next to the leader, but was not seen in the line of people receiving goodbye messages, raising questions about whether she also departed for Russia.

The KCNA did not report on the schedule, agenda, or location of the North Korea-Russia summit. North Korea’s domestic and external reporting on the summit continued on Tuesday as news of Kim’s departure for Russia was included in the Rodong Sinmun, a newspaper read by the North Korean public.

Reporting on the crowd that arrived at the train station to see the delegation off, the newspaper said that senior officials wished Kim well on his journey and expressed hope for a successful visit. It also said that Kim shared a message wishing “well-being and successes in their work” to the people of Pyongyang and North Korea.

By Kwon Hyuk-chul, staff reporter

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