Kim in Russia on his “last leg as dictator”
by Joseph Yun Li-sun
Sources tell AsiaNews, that the dear leader’s Moscow visit has provoked different reactions among North Koreans. Some think that he is in Russia to affirm his regime’s power; others believe he’s gone “to sell what is left to stay in power.”
Seoul (AsiaNews) – The visit by North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il to Russia has led to different reactions among North Koreans, many of whom “who do not understand whether this is a sign of better things to come or the beginning of the end. After Kim’s surprise visit to China, residents of North Korea’s border regions do not know what to expect from the ‘dear leader’,” a South Korean source told AsiaNews citing DailyNK, and some members of Caritas Korea who were in Pyongyang in recent weeks.
Kim Jong-il è arrived in Russia two days ago on his first visit in nine years. His special train reached Amur in Russia’s extreme east where he visited a hydroelectric power station. He is scheduled to meet Russian President Dmitri Medvedev tomorrow in the city of Kazan.
The welcome was festive. Kim’s armoured train arrived in the small railway station of Bureya. He is notoriously afraid of fluing. Women dressed in traditional Russian dress gave him bread and salt, as tradition requires.
After the visit, the North Korean leader resumed his trip on the famous Trans-Siberian railway, which connects Moscow to Vladivostok, a journey of more than 9,000 km.
The meeting with the Russian president, according to some analysts, will focus on ways to jumpstart the six-nation nuclear talks. In exchange for going back to the negotiating table, Moscow is prepared to work with North Korea in the energy field with Gazprom. The two leaders are also expected to look at renewing bilateral trade.
A source told Caritas that this visit “is meant to show the world that Pyongyang will not give in. kim is visiting friends and ‘non enemies’ to avoid having to give in to the West. It all depends on how his hosts will treat him. Moscow’s red carpet does not bode well.”
According to DailyNK, North Koreans cannot figure what is going on. “Some do not know whether the visit to Russia is meant to affirm Kim’s power or is a sign that he is willing to sell whatever he has left to stay in power.”
Kim Jong-il è arrived in Russia two days ago on his first visit in nine years. His special train reached Amur in Russia’s extreme east where he visited a hydroelectric power station. He is scheduled to meet Russian President Dmitri Medvedev tomorrow in the city of Kazan.
The welcome was festive. Kim’s armoured train arrived in the small railway station of Bureya. He is notoriously afraid of fluing. Women dressed in traditional Russian dress gave him bread and salt, as tradition requires.
After the visit, the North Korean leader resumed his trip on the famous Trans-Siberian railway, which connects Moscow to Vladivostok, a journey of more than 9,000 km.
The meeting with the Russian president, according to some analysts, will focus on ways to jumpstart the six-nation nuclear talks. In exchange for going back to the negotiating table, Moscow is prepared to work with North Korea in the energy field with Gazprom. The two leaders are also expected to look at renewing bilateral trade.
A source told Caritas that this visit “is meant to show the world that Pyongyang will not give in. kim is visiting friends and ‘non enemies’ to avoid having to give in to the West. It all depends on how his hosts will treat him. Moscow’s red carpet does not bode well.”
According to DailyNK, North Koreans cannot figure what is going on. “Some do not know whether the visit to Russia is meant to affirm Kim’s power or is a sign that he is willing to sell whatever he has left to stay in power.”
.png)
See also
Tensions between Seoul and Pyongyang rise as Cold War fears cast a shadow over Korea
12/02/2016 15:14
12/02/2016 15:14
Kim Jong-nam, a 'painful death within 20 minutes'
27/02/2017 09:55
27/02/2017 09:55
Kim Jong-nam killed by a powerful nerve gas
24/02/2017 09:40
24/02/2017 09:40
