N. Korea's Kim Returns To Pyongyang After 'immortal' Russia Trip

Seoul, Sept 20 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Sep, 2023 ) :North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has returned to Pyongyang, state media said Wednesday, receiving an "ardent" welcome home to the capital after wrapping up a week-long Russia tour.

Kim's tour of Russia's far east included a summit with President Vladimir Putin, which fanned Western fears that isolated, nuclear-armed Pyongyang could provide Moscow with weapons for its drawn-out invasion of Ukraine.

North Korea's leader inspected everything from Russian space rockets to submarines during the trip.

His visit also included a symbolic exchange of rifles with Putin, with Kim declaring that bilateral ties with Russia were his "number one priority".

Although Moscow and Pyongyang are historic allies, with ties dating back to the Korean War.

Kim returned to Pyongyang on his armoured train on Tuesday evening "in good health after conducting the immortal external revolutionary activities, to be recorded forever in the history of the development of the DPRK-Russia friendship", the official Korean Central news Agency said, referring to the North by its official name.

At the train station to greet Kim were North Korean senior officials and citizens who had "earnestly waited for the day he would return home in good health".

As Kim's train arrived, it was greeted with "cheers of Hurrah!", KCNA said.

Kim waved and reviewed a military guard of honor, it said.