The visit by North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui comes without an obvious occasion, such as a multilateral diplomatic event or state anniversary, and has raised speculation that she may be co-ordinating a possible visit to Russia by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
North Korean state media said Choe departed for Russia on Saturday at the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov but has yet to comment on the purpose of her visit.
Yoon Min Ho, spokesperson for South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles affairs related to North Korea, said Seoul was closely monitoring the meetings but declined to assess whether Moscow and Pyongyang were discussing another summit between their leaders.
Russia's Tass news agency said Putin during his meeting with Choe at the Kremlin praised the countries' bilateral relations and reiterated his "gratitude to the North Korean leadership and people" for supporting his military operations against Ukraine.
Choe told Putin that Kim remains committed to the "comprehensive development" of relations with Russia, Tass reported.
Kim travelled to Russia's Far East for summits with Putin in 2019 and 2023. Putin invited Kim to visit Russia again during their summit in Pyongyang in June 2024, where the leaders signed a strategic partnership agreement pledging mutual aid if either country faces aggression.
Kim in recent years has made Russia the priority of his foreign policy, sending thousands of troops and huge supplies of weapons to support Putin's war in Ukraine, possibly in exchange for economic aid and technology transfers that some experts say are helping advance North Korea's military capabilities.
Choe's visit to Moscow came shortly after North Korea and China exchanged high-level visits, with North Korean Cabinet premier, Pak Thae Song, Kim's top economic official, meeting Xi in Beijing and Wang Huning, a member of the Chinese Communist Party's powerful Politburo Standing Committee, visiting Kim in Pyongyang this month.
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