South Korea’s defense ministry said Monday it sees the “possibility” of a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, amid speculation about Kim’s possible trip to Russia.

The assessment by defense ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu came amid media reports that Kim and Putin could hold a summit on the sidelines of an economic forum in Vladivostok this week, although there has been no word from both Pyongyang and Moscow on Kim’s possible trip.

“The defense ministry assesses that there is a possibility of Kim Jong-un visiting Russia,” Jeon told reporters when asked about Kim’s possible trip to Russia.

“If the visit takes place, (we) assess that a summit with Russian President (Vladimir) Putin is being pursued,” he said.

Russian media earlier reported that Putin has embarked on a two-day trip to Vladivostok on Monday to take part in the forum.

Pyongyang has recently been seeking to bolster military ties with Moscow in the wake of growing security cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan.

Source: Yonhap News Agency