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The North Korean state-run Korea Central News Agency reported on July 27 that leader Kim Jong-un had toured a weapons expo with a Russian delegation on July 29. (KCNA/Yonhap)

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu officially proposed holding trilateral military exercises with China to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un while visiting the North in July, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) claims to have learned.

“The NIS said it has determined that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made an official proposal for joint exercises between North Korea, China and Russia while meeting Kim Jong-un on his visit to North Korea,” said Yoo Sang-bum, the ruling People Power Party’s ranking member on the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee, following a closed-door session of the committee on Monday.

Yoo was speaking to reporters about media reports that mentioned the growing likelihood of the three countries holding joint military exercises.

The NIS informed a plenary session of the Intelligence Committee on Aug. 17 that Shoigu had agreed on a broad framework of military cooperation during a tête-à-tête with Kim Jong-un while visiting North Korea for “Victory Day” on July 27, the anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War.

Kim Kyou-hyun, the director of the National Intelligence Service, appears before the National Assembly on Sept. 4. (pool photo)

As South Korea, the US and Japan move to increase military cooperation, including an agreement reached at last month’s summit at Camp David to hold joint exercises on a regular basis, North Korea, China and Russia appear to be responding with joint exercises of their own. China and Russia have already carried out joint exercises together, but North Korea hasn’t participated in any so far.

Russia’s ambassador to North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, said in an interview with Russia’s Tass news agency on Saturday that it “seems appropriate” to hold joint exercises with China and Russia, while adding that this was his “personal opinion.”

South Korea’s intelligence agency also said that only one of two short-range ballistic missiles fired by North Korea on Aug. 30 had been successful. “North Korea obviously imagines that if it were to wage war, the war would be short, involving a combination of conventional armaments and tactical nuclear weapons,” the spy agency said.

By Sun Dam-eun, staff reporter

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