China accounted for 97% of North Korea's overall trade in 2022, according to South Korea's Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA).
But Russia resumed oil exports to North Korea in December 2022 and had exported 67,300 barrels of refined petroleum to North Korea by April, United Nations data shows, the first such shipments reported since 2020.
"Assuming North Korea and Russia's honeymoon period becomes a long one, North Korea could get Russian support on food, energy and infrastructure through Rason," Cho said.
Those ships are suspected of military supplies from North Korea to Russia, the reports said.
From Rason's port, North Korea has sent Russia an estimated 2,000 containers suspected of carrying artillery shells, and possibly short-range missiles, South Korean military officials have told reporters.
Persons:
Rason, Jeong Eunlee, Jeong, Lee Chan, Cho Sung, Cho, Alexander Kozlov, Chung Songhak, Chung, Kim Jong Un, Kozlov, Kim Il Sung, Abraham Choi, Choi, Rason . Lee, Lee, Josh Smith, Gleb Stolyarov, Gerry Doyle
Organizations:
North, South, Korea Institute for National Unification, Russian Federal Customs Service, South Korea's Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency, United, Teikyo University, North Korean, Korean, Kremlin, Korea Institute for Security, South Korea's National Institute for Unification Education, Thomson
Locations:
SEOUL, Korean, Russia, Ukraine, China, North Korea, Rason, Korea, South Korea’s, Russian, South Korea's Korea, United Nations, Tokyo, South Korean, Pyongyang, Rason's, Soviet, North, South