北, 비핵화협상 교착에 러시아 '우군 확보'... 경협도 논의할 듯

During the much-anticipated North Korea-Russia summit, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is highly likely to try to win Russia’s support in pushing its step-by-step approach of denuclearization.
Bilateral economic cooperation will also likely top the summit agenda.
Here’s Oh Jung-hee with more.
Meeting for the first time in eight years,... the most important agenda for North Korea and Russia will be to strengthen bilateral ties and coordinate strategies amid another impasse in nuclear talks between Pyeongyang and Washington.
China can't exert as much influence as before,... since Trump explicitly expressed his dissatisfaction over Xi Jinping's engagement... and Beijing needs to focus more on its trade negotiations with Washington.
"North Korea needs a country that can support its push for multi-phased, simultaneous approach to denuclearization and urge the international community to ease or lift sanctions against the regime. And Russia is that country -- Moscow has been stating that there need to be some corresponding measures in return for the North's denuclearization steps."
The Pyeongyang-Moscow summit later this month will also mark 70 years since the two sides signed an economic and cultural treaty.
As Russia has its own plan to develop its far east region,... it's highly likely that Kim and Putin will talk about keeping North Korean laborers in Russia's easternmost territory.
Mega-scale projects like connecting gas pipelines, railways, and an electric network from Russia to South Korea through the North may be discussed as well.
Economic delegations of North Korea and Russia have previously met in March... to discuss trade expansion, transport cooperation and North Korean laborers in Russia.
Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News.