(2nd LD) N. Korea's Kim inspects factory producing modern fighter jets in Russia's Far East

North Korea 13:31 September 15, 2023

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with more info throughout)

SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Friday inspected an aircraft plant that produces advanced fighter jets in Russia's Far East, according to Russian news agencies, after a rare summit with President Vladimir Putin earlier this week.

Kim, who arrived in Komsomolsk-on-Amur earlier in the day, visited the factory, where he inspected the production of Su-35 and Su-57 fighter jets and an SSJ passenger plane, Russian news agencies reported.

He also watched a demonstration flight of a Su-35 plane.

Kim arrived at a railway station in the city earlier in the day and was welcomed in accordance with traditions for a special guest, Russian news agencies reported.

The Russian city has two aircraft plants, the Yuri Gagarin Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant, which is named after the first person in space, and the Yakovlev plant, which had been known as Irkut.

Russia's state-run news agency Tass said the Yuri Gagarin plant produces advanced warplanes, including Su-35 and Su-57 fighter jets. The Yakovlev plant builds short-haul passenger airliners.

Kim is expected to visit more cities in Russia after Wednesday's summit at the Vostochny spaceport has raised concerns over the expansion of military cooperation between the increasingly isolated countries, including the prospects of Pyongyang sending more ammunition to Moscow for use in the war in Ukraine.

Putin earlier said Kim will also travel to Vladivostok to view Russia's Pacific Fleet.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (rear) alights from his special train at the Vostochny Cosmodrome space launch center in the Russian Far East on Sept. 13, 2023, to holds talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the next day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

Wednesday's summit marked Kim's first meeting with Putin since his visit to Vladivostok in April 2019.

Pyongyang has recently been seeking to bolster military ties with Moscow and doubling down on its weapons development amid growing security cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan.

On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Defense warned North Korea that its arms support to Russia would not only prolong the war in Ukraine but also be tantamount to "directly" joining the killing of innocent Ukrainians.

julesyi@yna.co.kr
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