SEOUL - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un departed for Russia Wednesday for a first summit with Vladimir Putin, as Pyongyang seeks closer ties with its traditional ally amid a nuclear deadlock with the United States. Kim "left here by a private train at dawn on Wednesday to visit the Russian Federation," the North's official Korean Central News Agency reported. - Putin in Pyongyang -Moscow was a crucial backer of Pyongyang for decades and their ties go back to the founding of North Korea, when the Soviet Union installed Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung as leader. China has since cemented its role as the isolated North's most important ally, its largest trading partner and crucial fuel supplier. "Pyongyang has a group of experts on diplomacy who have been in their post for decades.

Source: Bangkok Post April 23, 2019 21:33 UTC