Jo Yong-won, secretary of the Central Committee of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party and one of Kim Jong-un's closest aides, arrived in Moscow by private plane on Saturday, 15 November 2026, leading a joint party and government delegation. The visit, confirmed by North Korea's state media, signals a further deepening of ties between Pyongyang and Moscow following North Korea's reported deployment of troops to support Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.

Key Details of the Visit

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Jo's delegation was formally invited by Dmitry Medvedev, chairman of Russia's ruling United Russia party. At the airport, the delegation was received by Andrei Klimov, a member of United Russia's Supreme Council and first vice chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the State Duma — Russia's lower house of parliament — alongside North Korea's Ambassador to Moscow, Sin Hong-chol.

KCNA described the visit as taking place at 'a time when the militant friendship, friendship and relations of alliance between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation with independence and justice as their common ideal are being further cemented with each passing day,' according to an English-language dispatch from the agency.

Timing and Geopolitical Context

Jo's arrival comes days before US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China. Trump has indicated he intends to discuss nuclear arms reduction with both leaders, though senior US officials have explicitly cautioned that no binding agreement is expected to emerge from the meeting.

'We do not expect to get to any kind of agreement,' a senior US official said on condition of anonymity. The official added that Trump also plans to raise Iran during the trilateral talks, while Ukraine is reportedly not expected to feature on the agenda.

White House Assistant Press Secretary Olivia Wales confirmed the trilateral discussion during a briefing on Trump's planned visits to the Philippines and China, describing it as the concluding element of his Asia tour.

North Korea-Russia Ties: A Rapidly Escalating Alliance

Speculation about a possible visit to Moscow by Kim Jong-un himself had been circulating since North Korea's foreign minister made a surprise trip to Russia in July. Jo's visit now marks another high-level interaction, underscoring how rapidly the DPRK-Russia relationship has evolved beyond rhetorical solidarity into what both sides are publicly calling an 'alliance.'

Notably, the deployment of North Korean troops to support Russian operations in Ukraine — widely reported and condemned by Western governments — has significantly raised the stakes of this partnership. Critics argue that the arrangement represents a dangerous new axis in global security, with Pyongyang reportedly receiving energy supplies and military technology in return.

What Comes Next

Analysts will closely watch whether Jo Yong-won's delegation produces any formal agreements or joint statements. The timing, just ahead of the APEC trilateral summit, suggests Pyongyang may be seeking to signal its relevance in any emerging great-power framework. Whether Kim Jong-un himself follows up with a Moscow visit before the year's end remains an open question that diplomats in Seoul, Washington, and Beijing are tracking closely.