It will be Kim's first international visit in more than four years and the first since after the Covid pandemic. His last trip was also to Russia back in 2019, in a meeting with Putin after the collapse of North Korea's nuclear disarmament talks with the US (Trump was the president at the time).
This time, Kim will also be visiting Vladivostok for the 8th Eastern Economic Forum in Russia - in which China vice premier, Zhang Guoqing, has confirmed his attendance.
