Russian President Vladimir Putin unusually arrived at the summit venue 30 minutes earlier than North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. This is quite different from Putin, who is famous for being late by 1 to 2 hours for summit meetings with foreign leaders. President Putin treated Chairman Kim with special treatment, including serving sturgeon and beef dishes at the banquet.
According to Reuters, President Putin arrived at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Amur Region, the location of the summit, around 12:30 p.m. on the 13th (local time). Chairman Kim arrived about 30 minutes later. President Putin warmly welcomed Chairman Kim as he got out of a black bulletproof limousine at the base entrance. He welcomed Chairman Kim with a 40-second handshake and greeting.
It is noteworthy that President Putin, who is notorious for안전놀이터 being late on the international stage, arrived 30 minutes early to greet Chairman Kim. In fact, President Putin was 2 hours and 30 minutes late for a meeting with former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2018, and 4 hours and 15 minutes late for a meeting with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2014.
He was also late to the meeting with Korean leaders. He was 1 hour and 45 minutes late at the meeting with former President Park Geun-hye in 2016, and was nearly 2 hours late at the meeting with former President Moon Jae-in held during the G20 summit in 2019.
At the 2018 U.S.-Russia summit, President Putin was 35 minutes late, but former U.S. President Donald Trump arrived 20 minutes later, delaying the meeting by about an hour. Being late at a summit can sometimes be interpreted as a kind of psychological warfare to gain the upper hand in negotiations.
Chairman Kim and President Putin held an expanded summit and exclusive meeting for about two hours at the Vostochny Cosmodrome on the 13th, and then had an official dinner. The two leaders exchanged toasts at the official dinner and declared strengthening strategic cooperation between the two countries.
Chairman Kim emphasized to President Putin, “We have concluded that there is a need to strengthen strategic cooperation between the two countries.” Regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he also said, “I am confident that the Russian army and people will win against evil.”
After giving a general assessment that Chairman Kim’s visit to Russia took place in a friendly atmosphere, President Putin said that Chairman Kim is following the path of previous North Korean leaders, including his grandfather, Chairman Kim Il-sung, and his father, Chairman of the National Defense Commission Kim Jong-il.
President Putin also quoted a Russian proverb, saying, “It is better to have one old friend than to make two new ones,” and added, “Our relationship was reestablished in 1945, when former Soviet and Korean soldiers fought against Japanese militarists for freedom. “It’s done,” he said.
President Putin proposed a toast “to strengthen the friendship between North Korea and Russia and for the well-being of North Korean and Russian residents,” and Chairman Kim proposed a toast saying, “I wish President Putin good health.”
The summit dinner included duck salad with figs and nectarines, Russian-style dumplings made with king crab from the Kamchatka peninsula, carp soup, a large freshwater fish, and the main dishes included sturgeon with potatoes and mushrooms and sirloin steak with grilled vegetables. provided. For dessert, sherbet made from sea buckthorn fruit, vodka with pine nuts and condensed milk, and white and red wines produced in Divnomorsko, southern Russia, were also provided.
After the dinner, Chairman Kim left the space base again in a black limousine, receiving a send-off from President Putin. President Putin waved his hand and greeted Chairman Kim.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the North Korea-Russia summit lasted about four hours.