The governor of Primorye spoke about Kim Jong-un’s visit to Vladivostok. Photo: Yuri Smityuk/TASS

On Saturday, September 16, North Korean leader Kim Jong-UN returned from Komsomolsk-on-Amur to Primorye. (And before that, the distinguished guest, as reported, also visited the Vostochny cosmodrome.)

First of all, the Korean leader visited the large anti-submarine ship Marshal Shaposhnikov and, as news agencies also report, “had lunch in the field kitchen right on the pier.”

In the afternoon and evening, Kim Jong-un was already in Vladivostok.

When it was already evening there, I managed to contact the governor of Primorye Oleg Kozhemyako by telephone.

Despite being very busy (the head of the region is also closely involved in organizing Comrade Kim’s visit), he answered several of my questions.

… – Oleg Nikolaevich, you met Kim Jong-un on the first day of the visit, and accompanied him on a trip to other regions of the Far East. Has he changed a lot in appearance since you haven’t seen him? Has it been two years?

– No, three years.

He became more energetic. Looks, it seems to me, more active.

– More relaxed, closer?

– He is interested in everything, delves deeply into all subjects. So alive and moving. A very energetic person.

– Our president met with Kim Jong-un at the Vostochny cosmodrome. How do you evaluate this event?

– Very high.

– You then, in August 2009, were the governor of the Amur region, and when Vladimir Putin came to the Lada Kalina (I covered that trip), remember – you hammered the first peg there with him?

– Now this is a landmark object.

– Have you personally already managed to discuss some issues with the leader of the DPRK?

– Work continues…

– And another question. It has already been answered in the Kremlin. Why is there such hysteria in the West about the presence of Comrade Kim Jong-un in Russia, in Primorye?

– Any ally of Russia causes terrible hostility in them. Especially one who has power and his own opinion.

– We are already allies, do you think?

– We… These are our neighbors. The closest. A close neighbor is better than a distant relative. Therefore, who is the first to come to each other’s aid? Neighbours. We build both allied and friendly relations with our neighbors. Moreover, we have always had them, for more than 70 years.

– Oleg Nikolaevich Kozhemyako is not going to the DPRK, to Pyongyang?

– Now, as we work out…

– Do you have any such thoughts?

– I’ll share it later, Alexander. Fine?

– How is the mood in Primorye? Kim Jong-un has been with you for so many days, and now he has returned to you again. What are people saying?

– Good mood. Primorye residents warmly welcome the distinguished guest; we have always been positive towards North Korea, because it is our closest neighbor.

AND AT THIS TIME

According to news agencies, this Saturday, the 16th, the Russian Minister of Defense, Army General Sergei Shoigu presented (and commented) on how our famous Uran missile systems and the universal Caliber cruise missile systems work. And also a 100-mm automatic artillery mount A-190.

It is also reported that on the same day, Sergei Kuzhugetovich showed Kim Jong-un the Kinzhal hypersonic missile system.

Then the head of the Russian Ministry of Defense and the leader of the DPRK inspected the strategic missile-carrying bombers Tu-160, Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3…

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