N. Korean leader may choose unexpected route for upcoming meeting with Putin: NIS

This April 24, 2019 file photo shows a train carrying North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arriving for a planned meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok, Russia. AP-Yonhap

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may opt for an unexpected route when he travels to Russia for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, according to South Korea's spy agency Thursday.

The New York Times reported earlier this week that Kim plans to travel to Russia's Vladivostok, possibly by armored train, later this month for talks with Putin about the possibility of supplying Russia with more weaponry for its war in Ukraine and other military cooperation.

"As it was revealed to the New York Times, there is a possibility of Kim Jong-un making a surprise move by choosing a different route than what is expected," a National Intelligence Service (NIS) official reported during a parliamentary intelligence committee meeting, according to Rep. Yoo Sang-bum of the ruling People Power Party.

During the meeting, NIS Director Kim Kyou-hyun said the agency is closely monitoring the planned visit and sharing intelligence with other national spy agencies as a summit between the North and Russia would have a big effect on the international situation.

The New York Times report said a delegation of some 20 North Korean officials traveled to Vladivostok in late August, indicating an upcoming trip by the North Korean leader. (Yonhap)