Kim Jong Un Visits Russian Aircraft Plant
September 16, 2023
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a Russian aircraft plant on Friday, a sign of the close ties between the two countries despite international sanctions on Pyongyang.
Kim was greeted at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Yuri Gagarin Aviation Plant by Russian officials, including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov. He toured the plant and met with workers, including test pilots.
Kim expressed his appreciation for Russia's aviation technology and said he was "deeply impressed by the rich independent potential and modernity of the Russian aircraft manufacturing industry and its ceaseless enterprising efforts toward new goals."
The visit comes at a time when North Korea is under increasing pressure from the international community over its nuclear and missile programs. The United Nations Security Council has imposed a number of sanctions on Pyongyang, including a ban on arms exports.
However, Russia has maintained close ties with North Korea and has been reluctant to support further sanctions. The two countries have a long history of military cooperation, and Russia is a major supplier of weapons to North Korea.
Kim's visit to the aircraft plant is a sign of the close ties between the two countries and their continued cooperation in the defense sector. It is also a reminder that Russia remains a key player in the Korean Peninsula crisis.
