North Korea’s Kim may visit Russia to meet Putin

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may soon visit Russia for a summit with President Vladimir Putin, according to North Korea watchers.

Kim Jong-un's chief protocol secretary Kim Chang-son arrived in Vladivostok, Sunday morning (KST) after a five-day visit to Moscow. Secretary Kim, also known as the "chief butler" for the North Korean leader, departed from Sheremetyevo International Airport, northwest of central Moscow on Russia's Aeroflot flight SU 1700.

"Secretary Kim's visit to Vladivostok is viewed as a necessary step ahead of the upcoming Kim-Putin summit as he was in Singapore and Vietnam shortly before the two Kim-Trump summits and inspected hotels and other accommodation for the North's delegation," a government official here said.

The Kremlin confirmed on a conference call that a trip by Kim to Russia was being worked on but said that it was not able to provide further details.

“As soon as there is a concrete agreement on time, place and the form of the meeting, we will present the relevant information,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call.

The United States last week imposed new sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear weapons programme, the first such steps since a U.S.-North Korean summit collapsed last month.

"Kim Jong-un appears to be reviewing plans to augment the volume of North Korea's trade with Russia within the confines of both the United Nations as well as Washington imposed sanctions. The continued international sanctions against North Korea have in fact been one of the key stumbling blocks to an increased North Korea-Russia economic partnership," Chung Dong-young, floor leader of the minor opposition Party for Democracy and Peace, said in a local radio interview Monday.

"The North Korean economy is heavily dependent upon assistance from China and Russia. As Kim Jong-un declared that he will seek new ways after Hanoi, the North Korean leader wants to further strengthen his relationship with Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping," added Chung, also a member of the National Assembly Administrative and Security Committee.