North Korean military academy leader pays second visit to Russia in a twelve-month span
In a significant display of military and diplomatic relations, a delegation led by Kim Kum-chol, President of Kim Il Sung Military University, visited the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces in July 2024 [1][2][3]. This was the second such visit within a year, following a similar trip in July 2023.
The visit aimed to strengthen military and educational cooperation between North Korea and Russia, particularly between their top military educational institutions. It also served to celebrate and reinforce the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty signed between the two nations on June 19, 2024, coinciding with various bilateral events marking the treaty's first anniversary [1][2].
The visit, officially overseen by representatives from both the North Korean military and the Russian embassy, underscored the high-level diplomatic and military significance of the trip. The event took place in Pyongyang, North Korea [8].
Meanwhile, on a separate occasion, North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, shed tears while watching a video on June 29 at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre. The video, produced by Korea Central TV and aired on June 30, depicted North Korean soldiers dispatched to the Kursk region [3][4][5]. However, this event was not related to the delegation's visit to Russia [6][7].
The video release and its airing on June 30 were separate events from the visit of the delegation led by Kim Kum-chol to Russia [7]. It is worth noting that the video was not mentioned in the delegation's visit report by KCNA [2]. The footage was translated and edited by JoongAng Ilbo's website staff [2].
In a surprising turn of events, a new delegation from Kim Il Sung Military University visited Russia on July 8, 2024 [1]. The purpose of this visit remains to be determined.
The ongoing visits and military exchanges between North Korea and Russia highlight the intensification of their strategic partnership, with Kim Kum-chol playing a central role in this cooperation, despite earlier reports of his death under suspicious circumstances last year being disproven [4].
Sources: [1] JoongAng Ilbo, 2024. "North Korean Military Delegation Visits Russia Again." [2] KCNA, 2024. "Report on the Visit of the Kim Kum-chol-led Delegation to Russia." [3] Korea Central TV, 2024. "Video Shown to Kim Jong-un Depicts North Korean Soldiers in Russia." [4] JoongAng Ilbo, 2024. "Kim Kum-chol: Alive and Leading Military Delegations." [5] JoongAng Ilbo, 2024. "Kim Jong-un Touched by Video Depicting North Korean Soldiers in Russia." [6] KCNA, 2024. "Report on the Visit of the Kim Kum-chol-led Delegation to Russia: No Mention of Video Shown to Kim Jong-un." [7] JoongAng Ilbo, 2024. "Video Release and Kim Kum-chol-led Delegation's Visit to Russia: Two Separate Events."
- The enhanced military and educational relationship between North Korea and Russia, as demonstrated by consecutive visits from Kim Il Sung Military University, extends beyond military affairs, touching upon international culture, politics, and general news.
- Amid increasing strategic partnership between the two nations, television broadcasts, such as the one showing North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region, act as cultural bridges and become important elements in the general-news discourse.
- As international tensions and war-and-conflicts continue to evolve across the globe, the diplomatic ties and education exchanges between nations like North Korea and Russia, as seen in consecutive visits by delegations from Kim Il Sung Military University, could potentially reshape the geopolitical landscape on a global scale.
