A key North Korean official in the country’s ballistic missile development program has apparently attended an arms exhibition in Russia.
Kim Jong Sik, first vice department director of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party, was seen in a video released by Russia’s defense ministry on Monday.
The footage shows the official in a military uniform listening to a Russian speaker at a ceremony for the event.
The North Korean official reportedly accompanied the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, when he oversaw the launch of an ICBM-class Hwasong-18 missile in December last year.
Kim Jong Sik is banned from visiting UN member nations by a UN Security Council resolution. But Russia appears to have allowed him to enter the country in violation of the ban.
The move comes as North Korea and Russia step up their military exchanges. In June, the two countries signed a new treaty that stipulates mutual military assistance in the event of a contingency.
South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency says the North Korean official may discuss ICBM and other arms development with the Russian side.
There are growing concerns about deepening military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow.