Amid possible Kim-Putin meet, N Korean officials leave for Russia

A group of North Korean officials left for Russia, amid mounting speculations that the leaders of the two countries will hold a bilateral summit, the North's state media said on Monday.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that Ryu Myong-son, vice department director of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea led a delegation to Russia from Pyongyang on Monday. It did not provide more details on the nature of the visit, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported.

The KCNA, in a separate report, said that a group of Russian officials, led by a deputy director of its foreign ministry had arrived in Pyongyang without elaborating much on the visit.

The simultaneous trips made by the officials of North Korea and Russia comes after media reports surfaced that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is planning to embark on a visit to Russia this month or next month and hold a meeting with President Vladimir Putin. Earlier, Moscow confirmed that the two leaders will have a summit this year.

Ever since assuming power as the Supreme Leader in 2011, Kim has intensified his diplomatic outreach by visiting China thrice this year, meeting President Xi Jinping in all the three occasions. He also met with United States President Donald Trump in their first-ever meeting between the leaders of the two nations and several other dignitaries in Singapore.