The Russian defense minister has proposed to Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea that their nations carry a naval drill, along with China, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported on Monday, quoting a South Korean intelligence agency.
Sergei Shoigu, the Defense Minister of Russia visited North Korea for the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, honored in North Korea as “Victory Day,” in July when he met the North Korean leader.
They attended a defense exhibition that featured the banned ballistic missiles of North Korea, North Korean state media reported at that time.
Yonhap reported that Shoigu had made the suggestion for a three-way naval drill to Kim during his visit but it gave no other details.
The report added that South Korea’s National Intelligence Service told the National Assembly that Shoigu seemed to have had a private meeting with Kim to agree on wide military development.
Moscow and Pyongyang have recently called for closer military links but North Korea has declined to hold any “arms dealings” with Russia.
Last Month, John Kirby, the spokesman for White House national security, told
White House national security spokesman John Kirby told a press briefing that the Russian defense minister had attempted on his visit to North Korea to sell artillery ammunition to Moscow.
The United States recently set sanctions on three entities it blamed for being linked to weapons agreements between Moscow and Pyongyang.
North Korea has led six nuclear tests since 2006 and has been testing different missiles over current years but it rarely carries military drills with its neighbors.
Washington and South Korea, carry routine military drills, which North Korea condemned as rehearsals for battle against it.
