North Korea Test-Fires New Weapons Ahead of Visit by Russian Security Chief

North Korea said on March 21 it had test-fired a new weapons system that would boost its combat readiness, as Russia's security chief arrived in Pyongyang for talks with leader Kim Jong Un.

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Traditional allies Russia and North Korea have drawn closer since Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with Seoul accusing Mr. Kim of sending thousands of troops and container loads of weapons to help Moscow fight Kyiv.

Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has officially confirmed the troop deployment, but the two countries in 2024 signed a sweeping military deal, including a mutual defense clause, when Russian President Vladimir Putin made a rare visit to the nuclear-armed North.

Moscow's top security official Sergei Shoigu has arrived in North Korea for a visit, Russian news agency Tass reported on March 21, the latest in a recent series of high-level exchanges between North Korea and Russia.

Mr. Shoigu is scheduled to meet Mr. Kim and other North Korean officials, both Tass and RIA Novosti reported.

Mr. Kim oversaw the test-fire of the country's latest anti-aircraft missile system, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on March 21, without specifying when the test happened.