DPRK top leader arrives at Russian border town Khasan

SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), arrived at the Russian border town of Khasan early Tuesday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Wednesday.

Kim, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, is paying an official visit to the Russian Federation to put the DPRK-Russia relations of friendship and cooperation to a fresh higher level, KCNA said.

Kim's private train entered the yard of the Khasan Railway Station at 6:00 a.m. local time, according to the report.

During talks with Russian officials in the reception room of the railway station, Kim said that the visit to Russia, his first foreign visit since the COVID-19 pandemic, is a clear manifestation of the stance of the ruling party and the government of the DPRK prioritizing the strategic importance of the DPRK-Russia relations, the report said.

Kim then left for his destination, with a warm send-off by Russian officials, it added.