North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is believed to be on a train headed for Russia, possibly for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to South Korean news reports.
Kim left North Korea’s capital of Pyongyang for Russia on Sunday night, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported, citing unidentified South Korean government sources. The trip from Pyongyang to Russia was expected to take 20 hours or more, according to the Yonhap news agency.
South Korea’s presidential office, defense ministry and national intelligence service did not immediately confirm the reports.
Kim’s departure comes after U.S. officials told multiple media outlets last week the North Korean leader may meet with Putin within the month. An official told The Associated Press the U.S. was not exactly sure where or when the meeting would take place, but the Russian port city of Vladivostok could be likely due to its relative proximity to North Korea.
Putin and Kim are scheduled to attend the Eastern Economic Forum at the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, which runs through Wednesday, though it is not immediately clear if this is where the two leaders would meet.
U.S. officials said Russia is looking to buy ammunition from North Korea to refill reserves drained by its war in Ukraine. In exchange, North Korea would likely want food, energy shipments and transfers of sophisticated weapons technologies.
Relations between Russia and North Korea have fluctuated for decades, though the two countries have drawn closer to one another since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
The meeting would mark Kim’s first summit with a foreign leader since North Korea closed its borders in January 2020.
The potential meeting fuels ongoing concerns about deepening cooperation between the two countries as U.S. officials have suspected North Korea is providing Russia with a variety of ammunition.
The exchange between the two countries also sparks concern about an increasing threat from Kim’s nuclear weapons and missiles designed for targeting the U.S., South Korea and Japan.
On Sunday, Vice President Harris called the possible meeting an “act of desperation” that will further isolate the countries.
The Associated Press contributed.