North Korea and Russia have reportedly expanded their trade involving items that violate international sanctions following their June summit, according to intelligence sources.
This includes an increase in machinery, refined oil, and luxury goods being imported from Russia to North Korea, according to Donga Ilbo on September 19. Notably, Russian medical equipment has reportedly been delivered to Pyongyang General Hospital, a project that had stalled despite Kim Jong-un’s orders for its completion by the end of 2020.
In June, the two countries’ leaders signed a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement,” which outlined enhanced cooperation across various sectors, including military and other social fields. Since then, the scale of trade, including smuggling, has significantly increased.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ride together in a luxury car during Putin’s visit to Pyongyang in 2024. [YONHAP]
This surge in North Korea-Russia trade comes at a time when trade between North Korea and China is declining. According to China’s General Administration of Customs, trade between North Korea and China dropped 18.8% in July, compared to the previous month, with the total trade value standing at $144.75 million.
Intelligence officials are monitoring the possibility that Pyongyang General Hospital, whose construction Kim Jong-un attended in March 2020, may finally be completed this year through North Korea-Russia cooperation in the healthcare sector.
A government source told Donga Ilbo that while the hospital’s exterior was completed, it remained largely an empty shell due to sanctions that prevented the import of medical equipment. However, there are reports that used medical equipment has been gradually arriving from Russia since the start of this year.
Kim Jong-un had expressed his commitment to improving North Korea’s outdated healthcare system during his state policy address at the Supreme People’s Assembly in January, pledging to open Pyongyang General Hospital by the end of this year and build a modern hospital in Kangwon Province.
On August 31, he also ordered the completion of local hospitals as part of the “20×10” regional development policy by the end of the year, reflecting his confidence in Russia’s support for medical infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed that North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui met with her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow on September 17 to discuss bilateral relations.
Choe’s visit marks her return to Russia after eight months, and she will also attend the 4th Eurasian Women’s Forum and the 1st BRICS Women’s Forum in St. Petersburg from September 18 to 20.
Earlier, on September 13, Sergei Shoigu, who served as Russia’s Defense Minister until May, visited Pyongyang to meet with Kim Jong-un, sparking speculation about potential military cooperation, including North Korean arms support for Russia and the transfer of advanced technologies amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
