Kim Jong-un 'could meet Vladimir Putin in Russian Far East'

The rumour of a trip to the Russian city comes from sources in China, though is as yet unconfirmed by the Kremlin.

Kim has been reluctant to travel since assuming power on the death of his father Kim Jong-Il in 2011.

There were claims he feared a coup at home, and he abruptly cancelled a planned visit  to Moscow for the Victory Day parade on 9 May, marking the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe. 

South Korean experts  believe that President Putin could meet the 32 year old North Korean leader either during the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on 12-15 August or during a stopover on his way to Japan later in the year.

North Korea's parliamentary speaker Choe Thae-bok is expected in Moscow shortly, possibly to hammer out arrangements for the trip.

One well-placed Russian source said: 'The possibility of a meeting of the leaders of Russia and the North Korea has always been on the agenda of bilateral contacts.

'However, as far as I know, there is no real agreement on the summit in Khabarovsk, or anywhere else in August and September.

'Journalists are more likely simply to speculate on this topic, simultaneously inventing 'sources in the Kremlin' and other agencies.  I think that this is the case with the Chinese publications and the speculation of the South Korean experts.'

Elsewhere, claims that Kim would visit China to take part in the commemoration of the end of the Second World War in the Far East were downplayed in a report from German news agency DPA.

'The Dear leader is very busy,' a Pyongyang official was quoted as saying. 

Later, President Putin's spokesman said there were as yet no concrete plans for a meeting between the two leaders.

'I can't say anything about that yet, there aren't any concrete plans so far in regard to this,' said Dmitry Peskov.