South Korean intelligence has seen signs that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is trying to distance itself from Iran, with which it has traditionally maintained friendly relations.
This was reported by CNN.
South Korean lawmaker Park Sun-won, who works for the parliamentary intelligence committee, said after a parliamentary briefing by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) that, according to intelligence, North Korea has not yet provided Iran with any weapons or materials.
According to intelligence, there are signs that Pyongyang is trying to maintain a certain distance. For example, it did not send a message of condolences when former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes, and did not congratulate Mojtaba Khamenei when he was appointed as the new leader.
The lawmaker said it could be an attempt to "secure new diplomatic space" ahead of an expected summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in May. China is one of North Korea's closest allies.
Another lawmaker, Lee Seong-kwon, added that North Korea appeared to be holding back from directly criticizing Trump ahead of the meeting.
Park also recalled that back in February, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had said there was "no reason not to get along with the US," suggesting he was carefully wording his statements in an effort to maintain good relations with Trump.
South Korean intelligence has also found that North Korea is facing significant economic difficulties as a result of the conflict in the Middle East, which has disrupted the supply of industrial materials, caused price hikes and a sharp appreciation of the currency.
The country is also trying to secure additional oil supplies from the aggressor state of russia.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un appointed his 13-year-old daughter Kim Ju Ae to a senior position in the department that produces missiles.
Meanwhile, attempts to establish a dialogue between the US and Iran have not yet yielded results - Tehran has refused to make concessions and has effectively blocked the negotiation process.
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