Putin's Letter to North Koreans on the Eve of his Visit

Another stick in the Globalist's spokes.

Pyongyang

Vladimir Putin's article in the Nodong Sinmun newspaper, "Russia and the DPRK: Traditions of friendship and cooperation through the years," is rather self-explanatory. RT reports the visit will be short, arrival on Tuesday for just that one night, although it’s the first time in 24 years that Putin will have visited the DPRK. Here is an excerpt:

A senior foreign policy aide to the Russian president, Yuri Ushakov, has outlined some of the details of the upcoming trip, stating that Putin will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, Transport Minister Roman Starovoyt, Roscosmos chief Yuri Borisov, and Russian Railway head Oleg Belozyorov, among others. 

The two sides are expected to sign a number of documents during the visit, according to Ushakov, including a potential comprehensive strategic partnership agreement. The Russian delegation will also engage in extensive talks with its North Korean counterpart on a number of issues, including bilateral relations, the economy, security, and international cooperation. 

Putin is also expected to attend a state concert being held in honor of his visit and hold informal talks with Kim. 

Given who composes the delegation, some serious discussions will take place and some already agreed agreements will be signed. One thing is most certain: Russia’s food production ability means DPRK won’t face hunger issues anymore due to illegal sanctions thus ensuring the basic component for DPRK’s social security. Expansion of the railroad connection will also be a major topic as DPRK will be a key market for Russian goods besides foodstuffs. Now let’s read what Putin has to say:

On the eve of my state visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, I would like to share with the Korean and foreign audience of the Nodong Sinmun newspaper my thoughts on the prospects of partnership relations between our states and their significance in the modern world.

The relations of friendship and good neighborliness between Russia and the DPRK, based on the principles of equality, mutual respect and trust, date back more than seven decades and are rich in glorious historical traditions. Our peoples cherish the memory of the difficult joint struggle against Japanese militarism and honor the fallen heroes. In August 1945, Soviet soldiers, fighting shoulder to shoulder with Korean patriots, defeated the Kwantung Army, liberated the Korean peninsula from colonialists, and opened the way for the Korean people to develop independently. The monument on Moranbong Hill, erected in 1946 in the center of Pyongyang in honor of the liberation of Korea by the Red Army, is a symbol of the military brotherhood of the two peoples.

The Soviet Union was the first in the world to recognize the young Democratic People's Republic of Korea, establishing diplomatic relations with it. And already on March 17, 1949, during the first visit to Moscow of the founder of the DPRK, Comrade Kim Il Sung, an Agreement on economic and Cultural cooperation between the USSR and the DPRK was signed, which laid the legal foundation for further strengthening bilateral cooperation. Our country has helped our Korean friends build a national economy, establish a healthcare system, develop science and education, and train professional administrative and technical personnel.

During the difficult time of the Patriotic Liberation War of 1950-1953, the Soviet Union also extended a helping hand to the people of the DPRK and supported them in their struggle for independence. And subsequently rendered significant assistance in restoring and strengthening the national economy of the young Korean state, in establishing a peaceful life.

My first visit to Pyongyang in 2000 and the return visit of the Chairman of the State Defense Committee of the DPRK, Comrade Kim Jong Il, to Russia the following year marked new important milestones in relations between our countries. The bilateral declarations signed at that time defined the main priorities and directions of our creative multi-faceted partnership for years to come.

The current leader of the DPRK, Comrade Kim Jong-un, is confidently following the course laid down by his predecessors – prominent statesmen and friends of the Russian people, Comrades Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. I was once again convinced of this during our meeting, which took place in September last year in Russia at the Vostochny cosmodrome.

Today, as before, Russia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are actively developing a multi-faceted partnership. We highly appreciate the DPRK's firm support for the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, solidarity with us on key international issues, and readiness to defend common priorities and views at the United Nations. Pyongyang has always been and remains our staunch ally and supporter, ready to resolutely resist the desire of the collective West to prevent the formation of a multipolar world order based on justice, mutual respect for sovereignty, and consideration of each other's interests.

The United States of America is struggling to impose a so-called rules-based order on the world, which is essentially nothing more than a global neo-colonial dictatorship based on double standards. Countries that disagree with this approach and pursue independent policies face increasingly harsh external pressure. The US leadership sees such a natural and legitimate desire for independence and independence as a threat to its dominance in the world.

The United States and its satellites openly declare that their goal is to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. They are doing everything possible to prolong and further inflame the conflict in Ukraine, which they themselves provoked by supporting and organizing the armed coup in Kiev in 2014, and then the war in the Donbas. All these years, they have repeatedly rejected all our attempts to resolve the situation peacefully. Russia has been and will continue to be open to an equal dialogue on all the most difficult issues. I spoke about this again recently, during a meeting with Russian diplomats in Moscow.

At the same time, on the contrary, our opponents continue to supply the neo-Nazi Kiev regime with money, weapons and intelligence, and allow and actually encourage the use of modern Western weapons and equipment to launch attacks on Russian territory. And most often—for obviously peaceful purposes—they are threatening to send their military contingents to Ukraine. At the same time, they are trying to exhaust our economy with new sanctions and provoke an increase in socio-political tension within the country.

But no matter how hard they try, all their attempts to contain and isolate Russia failed. We continue to confidently increase our economic potential, develop industry, technology, infrastructure, science, education, and culture.

It is gratifying that our Korean friends—despite years of economic pressure, provocations, blackmail, and military threats from the United States--are equally effective in defending their interests. We see the strength, dignity, and courage of the people of the DPRK fighting for their freedom, sovereignty, and national traditions. It is achieving colossal results, real breakthroughs in strengthening the country's defense and technological, scientific, and industrial power. At the same time, the country's leadership, led by Comrade Kim Jong-un, has repeatedly expressed a desire to resolve all existing differences in peace. However, Washington, refusing to implement the previously reached agreements, constantly puts forward new, more and more stringent and obviously unacceptable requirements.

Russia has always supported and will continue to support the DPRK and the heroic Korean people in their struggle against the insidious, dangerous and aggressive enemy, in their struggle for independence, identity, and the right to choose their own path of development.

We are also ready to work closely together to make international relations more democratic and stable. To do this, we will develop alternative mechanisms of trade and mutual settlements beyond the control of the West, and jointly resist illegitimate unilateral restrictions. And at the same time-to build an architecture of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia.

Of course, we will develop humanitarian cooperation between our countries. There are plans to boost academic mobility between Russian and Korean universities. Further increase mutual tourist trips, cultural, educational, youth and sports exchanges. Everything that "humanizes" communication between countries and peoples, strengthens trust and mutual understanding.

I firmly believe that through joint efforts we will be able to bring bilateral cooperation to an even higher level, which will contribute to the development of mutually beneficial and equal cooperation between Russia and the DPRK, strengthen our sovereignty, deepen trade and economic ties, develop contacts in the humanitarian sphere, and ultimately improve the well-being of the citizens of the two states.

I wish good health to Comrade Kim Jong-un, and peace to the entire friendly people of the DPRK and great success on the path of development. [My Emphasis]

IMO, most of that was expected, rhetoric and all. Media rarely shows photos of North Korea that don’t include Kim Jong-un or its military. It must be recalled that almost all of the DPRK needed to be rebuilt after the genocidal UN bombing campaign during its Patriotic Liberation War, so the architectural styles are decidedly unique as the header photo shows, although this is Stalinesque.

While this is a new high-tech center:

While no picture of Pyongyang would be complete without the Ryugyong Hotel.

Yes, that’s a lot of smaze and some other photos I viewed were far worse. DPRK needs to wean itself from coal and such. Pyongyang has a metro that doubles as a fallout shelter much like Moscow’s although it’s not nearly as extensive but is every bit as deep if not deeper. So, if you’re image hunting, don’t use North Korea as your main term for all you’ll get is a bunch of military related pics. Use Pyongyang or some other geographical name to find photos that show more. One day isn’t much time to sightsee, and it’s Tuesday there already.

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