N Korea's nominal head of state to visit Russia this month

North Korea's nominal head of state, not its absolute leader Kim Jong Un, is to visit Russia this month to attend celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany.
Pyongyang's state media said today that Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, will travel to Russia to take part in the ceremony.
That came after Russia said last week that unspecified "internal matters" would prevent Kim Jong Un from leaving his country for the May 9 Victory Day celebrations. It would have been Kim's first overseas trip since taking power upon the death of his dictator father Kim Jong Il in late 2011.

Russia's foreign minister said in March that Kim was among the 26 world leaders who had accepted an invitation to the event.
Neither Russia nor North Korea explained why Kim Jong Un will not visit Russia this month. Outside analysts speculated he might have been reluctant to share the spotlight with other world leaders, which would undermine his image as supreme leader at home. He might have also felt uneasy about making Russia the destination of his first foreign trip, not China which is still the North's main aid provider, according to the analysts.
North Korea's ties with Russia soured after the 1991 Soviet collapse but have improved in recent years. For North Korea, better ties with Russia could reduce its economic dependence on China.