North Korean leader returns home after week-long Russia visit

ANKARA

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has returned home after a week-long visit to Russia, state-run media reported on Tuesday.

According to the Korean Central News Agency, Kim completed his official visit and entered through the Tumangang Railway Station, the border station, on early Monday morning.

The North Korean Tumangang station also serves as a transit point for trade with Russia.

"Through his visit to the Russian Federation, the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un further deepened the comradely fellowship and friendly ties with Russian President Putin and the government and people of Russia and opened a new chapter of the development of the DPRK-Russia relations," the agency said.

On Sunday, Kim left the railway station in Russia's Far East city of Artyom and crossed the Tuman River through the Khasan Railway Station on Monday.

Kim, arrived in Russia last Tuesday at Vladimir Putin's invitation, and they held talks at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, amid reports of possible military cooperation between the two allies.

Kim's visit had "official" status, which was one of the highest categories in protocol practice.

This was Kim's longest overseas trip since taking power.

Russia is the first country that the North Korean leader has visited since early 2020, the start of the pandemic, during which the country's borders were closed.

Before that, he came to Russia in April 2019, and he and Putin held talks in Vladivostok, their first meeting.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid