North Korea has reportedly stopped using a Chinese communications satellite in favor of a Russian one for its state-run Korean Central Television service.
South Korea’s Unification Ministry announced it learned of the switch on Monday.
Pyongyang began using the Chinese satellite after a satellite from Thailand that had been transmitting KCTV programs malfunctioned in 2020.
Unification Ministry officials say they cannot yet confirm the reason for the latest switch.
The development follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first visit to Pyongyang in 24 years on June 19.
Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty that commits each country to provide military assistance to the other if either is invaded or placed under a state of war.
The agreement also includes cooperation in such fields as information and communications technology.
It has also been confirmed that Russia’s ambassador to North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, attended a massive anti-US rally in Pyongyang on June 25, the 74th anniversary of the start of the Korean War.
These events suggest that the North’s use of a Russian satellite may reflect moves to strengthen bilateral relations.