Putin breaks habit of showing up late in meeting with Kim
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet for the first time on Thursday. They held meetings at the Far Eastern Federal University campus at Russky Island off Vladivostok, Russia. PHOTO: REUTERS
The summit between the two leaders was focused on North Korea's nuclear programme and took place on Russky Island, near the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok.
All aboard for Vladivostok: Kim follows in father's tracks
It comes two months after the summit on denuclearisation between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Hanoi failed to produce any results.
Both Kim and Putin emerged from the meetings later on Thursday with warm words for one another, although any specifics on the result of the meeting were not provided.
According to reports, the one thing that stood out the most was how much respect the Russian president appeared to show for his North Korean counterpart.
Putin reportedly arrived at the venue 30 minutes before Kim, even though he has a long track record of making world leaders wait for him.
It was the first summit between the leaders of North Korea and Russia since Kim Jong Il — the current leader’s father — met with Dmitry Medvedev eight years ago.
Kim says had 'very meaningful' talks with Russia's Putin
Russia has relatively warm ties with Pyongyang and provides some food aid, and Putin has long expressed his readiness to meet with the regime leader.
Moscow has already called for international sanctions on the North to be eased, while the US has accused it of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures — accusations Russia denies.