North Korean President Vladimir Putin visited North Korea for the first time in 24 years in June 2024. There he was welcomed by President Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang with a warm welcome. The red carpet was open, roses on their path, and warm embraces at the airport. That such a lavish welcome in North Korea is rare is further evidence of Kim’s value in this meeting.
Putin’s arrival was like he met a royal. A red carpet was laid on the airport and flags were carried out in the streets. People had banners and posters on, with a slogan of friendship between Russia and North Korea’s leader Vladimir Putin, who met Putin at the airport at 6:30 in the morning, because it happened to be on the first night. If nothing else, it is something this level of hospitality is not typical of foreign leaders, and for sure was something Kim wanted to show support to be here to reinforce it.
Both Russia and North Korea face global isolation. Russia is under sanctions for its actions in Ukraine and North Korea for its nuclear weapons program. The visit was far from a walk down the road; it was a strategic exercise of power. The two leaders signed an agreement: a mutual defense pact and a security coordination treaty and agreed to give North Korea energy and food assistance, and North Korea had asked for better military cooperation.
The visitors were warmly welcomed by State Media in Russia, a proof of Moscow's global sway beyond sanctions. In North Korea, they were mobilized to support Putin in particular, reaffirming the friendship we’re supposed to have within Russia. However, international observers saw the visit as the danger from a Western perspective. Greater cooperation between Russia and North Korea is going to create a risk of instability among the region and strengthen Putin and North Korea against global pressure by putting pressure on them.
The meeting was also symbolic. Putin gave Kim a luxury limousine and other objects while Kim received Putin two Pungsan hunting dogs, a prized North Korean breed. A political alliance was exchanged and so was personal friendship.
Putin’s visit to North Korea was more than a diplomatic journey, though: it was a perfectly staged show of solidarity. By bringing Kim Jong Un on a royal-style welcome, complete with roses and red carpet, a country feels lonely, isolated and under siege. The event deepened the ties and set a message to the world: Russia and North Korea are ready to unite in opposition to Western powers.
