The meaning behind the location of the talks between the two leaders of Russia and North Korea

Quoting An Chan-il, a researcher in charge of running the World Institute for Korean Affairs, AFP news agency said Pyongyang is seeking help with satellite technology and upgrading Soviet-era military equipment.

According to the Russian news agency TASS, on September 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had a brief conversation at the Vostochny Cosmodrome. The meeting took place at the main gate of the building where launch vehicles are installed and tested. The two heads of state toured the spaceport and then began talks.

A day earlier, President Putin announced plans to visit the Vostochny Cosmodrome, about 1,000 kilometers from Vladivostok. According to RIA Novosti news agency, the Kremlin leader said Russia plans to attract private investors in the space sector, and affirmed that Moscow will help Pyongyang build satellites.

“The North Korean leadership shows great interest in missile technology and they are working hard to develop it to increase the country's presence in the space sphere,” President Putin said.

Asked by reporters if military cooperation was on the agenda, President Putin said: “We will talk about all issues. There is no rush. There is still time.”

Citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, TASS news agency reported that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu - who visited Pyongyang in July and recently proposed bilateral joint naval exercises - would take part in the talks.

For his part, Kim Jong-un thanked Putin for inviting him to visit, despite the Russian leader’s busy schedule. Earlier, Kim Jong-un stressed that the trip was his first overseas trip since the pandemic, showing that North Korea is “prioritizing the strategic importance” of its relationship with Russia.

At Russia's largest cosmodrome, Russian Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov welcomed leader Kim Jong-un and presented him with historic photos signed by Soviet cosmonauts, including Yury Gagarin.

According to Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, communication channels between Russia and North Korea have been restored to the level they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. Dialogue between the two countries is “developing positively.”

In a development on the same day, the South Korean military said that while Pyongyang's top leader was on a trip to Russia, North Korea launched two objects suspected to be ballistic missiles.