Russia has invited North Korea's chief ballistic missile developer, Kim Jong Sik, to attend its "Army-2024" international military-technical forum.
Kim Jong Sik is the first deputy director of a department in North Korea's ruling Workers' Party and is considered a key figure in the country's missile development.
According to Ukrinform, he was seen at the forum's opening ceremony in Kubinka, near Moscow, on August 12.
Kim often accompanies North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during missile tests and was awarded the title "Hero of the Republic" in 2012 for his work on long-range missiles.
Kim is subject to international sanctions.
He was blacklisted under UN Security Council Resolution 2397, which was adopted in 2017 after North Korea illegally tested an intercontinental ballistic missile.
The resolution states that UN member states should bar entry to individuals on the sanctions list. Kim is also on the sanctions lists of the United States, South Korea, and the European Union.
Despite these sanctions, Russia has chosen to invite the North Korean delegation, signaling closer ties between Moscow and Pyongyang.
This move has raised concerns, especially as the U.S., South Korea, and Japan are planning to establish a new monitoring system to ensure compliance with UN sanctions against North Korea.
This system will serve as an alternative to the UN expert group, whose mandate expired earlier this year.
