NK seeking to advance into Russia's maritime province

North Korea is aggressively seeking cooperation with Russia's maritime province, proposing cooperation between the two countries' ruling parties, a US broadcaster reported, citing a local media. 

According to PrimaMedia in the maritime province, Rim Chong-il, North Korean consul-general in Vladivostok, paid a call to Valentine Shumatov, a regional chairman of the Russian ruling party United Russia, on Jan. 11, Radio Free Asia said. 

During the meeting, made at the request of the North, the two sides agreed on cooperation between the parties in the fields of culture, tourism, science medicine and education, the broadcaster said. 

(Yonhap)

It's unusual that the North is targeting the Russian ruling party's regional chapter to advance its interests, although it has been endeavoring to send more laborers to Russia, the broadcaster said. 

The move is analyzed as an intention to advance into the maritime province, one of Russia's economic hubs, it said. (Yonhap)