N. Korea, Russia discuss ways to bolster regional economic cooperation

Governor of Russia's far eastern region of Primorsky Krai Oleg Kozhemyako, from center left, shakes hands with North Korea's External Economic Relations Minister Yun Jong-ho in Pyongyang, Dec. 12. Yonhap

A senior North Korean official has held talks with the governor of Russia's far eastern region of Primorsky Krai, Pyongyang's state media said Wednesday, amid speculation that North Korea is seeking to send workers to Russia to earn much-needed hard currency.

North Korea's External Economic Relations Minister Yun Jong-ho and Oleg Kozhemyako, governor of the Russian region that borders North Korea, discussed issues of bolstering regional economic cooperation further to a high level in Pyongyang on Tuesday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The KCNA did not provide any further details on what it meant by economic cooperation.

North Korea's External Economic Relations Minister Yun Jong-ho, fourth from right, holds talks with Oleg Kozhemyako, fourth from left, governor of the Primorsky region in the Russian Far East, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang, Dec. 12. Yonhap

Kozhemyako told a Russian news media outlet ahead of his visit that he will discuss ways to boost cooperation in the fields of tourism, trade and agriculture.

There is speculation that the two sides may discuss the possible dispatch of North Korean workers to Russia, a move that is banned under United Nations Security Council resolutions imposed due to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.

The National Intelligence Service, South Korea's spy agency, said Tuesday it has detected signs of North Korea seeking to send workers to Russia and is closely monitoring the situation.

Kozhemyako arrived in North Korea on Monday as the two nations have been strengthening their ties following the summit of the North's leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in September. (Yonhap)