The website of Russian TV channel Tsargrad TV published on January 24, 2024, an article titled "Missiles In Exchange For Tourists: Putin And Kim Jong Un Are Preparing The Most Shocking Visit Ever"[1] discussing Russia-North Korea relations after the January 15-17 visit to Russia by North Korea Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui.
The article discussed the "Moscow-Beijing-Pyongyang Axis," saying that "no one can be isolated anymore. Iran and North Korea are now important regional powers and important allies of the great powers, Russia and China… Until recently, it was still possible to talk about isolating North Korea, but close ties with Russia put an end to isolation. It is no longer a rogue state. It is a member of the most powerful military-political bloc on Earth." It said that "Korea will soon become a country with a full-fledged 'nuclear triad,' if it has not yet become one," commented on "the possibility of North Korea supplying Russia with 122 mm and 152 mm ammunition of Soviet caliber for cannon artillery and missiles for multiple launch rocket systems," and said that "there has long been talk that North Korea, with its population of more than 26 million people, could send several hundred thousand or even more than a million workers to Russia."
Following is a translation of the article:
"Vladimir Putin Promised That He Would Personally Visit North Korea"
"Vladimir Putin will visit North Korea soon. There is panic in the West about this. Should we be happy? Do Russians need the Korean shore?
"The visit of North Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Choe Son-hui to Russia ended on a high note. Vladimir Putin promised that he would personally visit North Korea.
"'President Putin once again expressed his deep gratitude for the fact that the President of State Affairs Comrade Kim Jong Un had invited him to pay a visit to Pyongyang at a convenient time, and also expressed his readiness to visit the DPRK in the near future,' the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in an official statement.
"Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not deny Putin's intentions to visit Korea, noting only that the exact dates of the trip had not been determined. For North Korea, Vladimir Putin's visit will be an event of great importance and enormous scale.
"'The DPRK government warmly welcomes President Putin's visit to our country and is ready to welcome the closest friend of the Korean people from the bottom of the heart,' according to a report by KCNA, North Korea's main media outlet. But it seems that the Western media are even more excited than the KCNA.
"Anxiety can be felt in reports about the Russian leader's future visit in both the Guardian and Bild. They point to the fact that Russia has expressed gratitude to North Korea for its support and solidarity in the conflict in Ukraine, and has also expressed serious concern over the provocative actions of the US and its allies against Pyongyang's sovereign rights, agreeing to cooperate in regional affairs. This is a cause for concern in the West: Russia and Korea appear to be allies not only in Russophobic propaganda, but in reality.
"However, here is the real question: Why does Russia need this alliance? What can we get from Korea and what would Korea, in turn, like to get from us? The answers to this question are actually several, and all seem important."
North Korea "Is No Longer A Rogue State – It Is A Member Of The Most Powerful Military-Political Bloc On Earth"
"If (and now it is absolutely no longer 'if' but 'when') Vladimir Putin's visit takes place, North Korea will finally cease to be a 'rogue state.' This status was assigned to Korea by the West in a situation where the West had a real ability to isolate those it did not like. In today's world, no one can be isolated anymore. Iran and North Korea are now important regional powers and important allies of the great powers, Russia and China.
"The funny thing is that this situation was created by the West itself – more precisely, by the United States. In an effort to make anti-Russian propaganda more convincing, Joe Biden and his team (e.g., Secretary of State Blinken) have talked so much about a 'new axis of evil' composed of our countries that they have actually created a new reality of world politics by themselves. To talk about isolating Iran, which has a dominant position in its macro-region, is now simply silly. Until recently, it was still possible to talk about isolating North Korea, but close ties with Russia put an end to isolation. It is no longer a rogue state. It is a member of the most powerful military-political bloc on Earth."
"Korea Will Soon Become A Country With A Full-Fledged 'Nuclear Triad,' If It Has Not Yet Become One"
"North Korea wants to get from Russia the end of isolation, as well as some material things. First, bread. Most of all, North Korea lacks food: There were times, not long ago, when there was a real famine there for years. Russia is the largest exporter of wheat and, of course, if it does not submit to enemy sanctions, it can feed Korea.
"In addition, Russia is an owner of a huge amount of military technologies, which it can transfer to North Korea. In this regard, experts speak primarily of the technologies needed to build submarines with nuclear weapons on board – Korea will soon become a country with a full-fledged 'nuclear triad,' if it has not yet become one. In this way, it will ensure its security against possible US aggression. From a repetition of the Korean War of the mid-20th century at a new stage.
"Thus, the answers to the question 'Why does North Korea need Russia?' are obvious. But why do we need North Korea?"
"The Possibility Of North Korea Supplying Russia With 122 Mm And 152 Mm Ammunition Of Soviet Caliber For Cannon Artillery And Missiles For Multiple Launch Rocket Systems"
"The West believes that there are only two reasons for Russia's friendship with North Korea. First, China's desire to share the burden of helping its ally with us (it is believed that only China has helped North Korea in the past). Second, the possibility of North Korea supplying Russia with 122 mm and 152 mm ammunition of Soviet caliber for cannon artillery and missiles for multiple launch rocket systems. If Western analysts are to be believed, North Korea has the world's largest stockpile of such ammunition, which Russia needs very badly today.
"If we believe, again, Western analysts, deliveries of these ammunition have already begun and Korean shells are flying towards Kyiv. If this is true (there are no official confirmations of this information and there will be none, and rightly so), then North Korea has certainly shown itself to be a true ally, and cooperation with it is beneficial for Russia. However, Vladimir Putin does not need to travel to Korea to negotiate this cooperation.
"It is obvious that the main areas of cooperation were outlined during Kim Jong Un's visit to Russia in September 2023. Politeness and reciprocity are great things, of course, but if Putin is going to Pyongyang, it is clearly not only out of politeness. So what will they discuss there?"
"North Korea, With Its Population Of More Than 26 Million People, Could Send Several Hundred Thousand Or Even More Than A Million Workers To Russia"
"North Korea does not have many export items that are theoreticcally in demand in Russia. However, there is something that Russia really needs and Korea is ready to supply. This is labor force, skilled and disciplined. There has long been talk that North Korea, with its population of more than 26 million people, could send several hundred thousand or even more than a million workers to Russia. However, things do not go any further than just talks: according to the available data, about 10 thousand Korean workers come from North Korea to the Far East with work visas per year so far.
"Meanwhile, they have a huge advantage over workers from some (let's be polite and not point the finger at anybody) Asian countries: they are not inclined to break laws and create criminal associations-diasporas. At least, they have not been seen to do that so far. North Korean workers may be employed at least on construction sites in the Far Eastern Federal District. Maybe also in Siberia, and in an even wider area. In Russia, they will be considered cheap, and on the contrary, they will send very substantial funds by local standards to their homeland.
"The topic of laborers has another dimension. As long as they are still cheap and qualified in North Korea, the issue of moving various industries there may be discussed. Building factories there with products that would be cheaper and therefore more competitive than those produced in Russia. How realistic is this? A prominent Korean scholar Andrei Lankov started writing a few years ago that some Chinese goods (especially clothing) are actually made in North Korea.
"Can Russian industry take advantage of such a favor? And what kind of industry? The question, at the very least, requires close scrutiny. Some people are even talking about setting up pharmaceutical production facilities on the peninsula... Although, of course, so far this is nothing more than speculation.
"Well, the last, but not least for some of us. On February 9, the first tourist group from Russian Primorye will go to North Korea. To, you will not believe it, a ski resort called Masikryong. The trip is designed for five days. On the first day, travelers will arrive in Pyongyang, see its sights, and then go skiing. Who knows, maybe in a couple of years this route will become as familiar to Russian people as Abzakovo and Dombai are now?"
[1] Tsargrad.tv/articles/rakety-v-obmen-na-turistov-putin-i-kim-chen-yn-gotovjat-samyj-ubojnyj-vizit_950580, January 24, 2024.
