TOKYO, January 9. /TASS/. North Korea has requested Russia to provide it with Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, South Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo daily has reported citing a military source.

The particular proposal was made during the November visit to Russia of Choe Ryong Hae, a top Communist Party official and close ally to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

“Choe Ryong-hae, who visited Moscow as a special envoy of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in November last year, asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to provide Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets,” the report said, citing the source.

North Korea is capable of producing many weapons systems domestically, “but it appears to have sought Russia’s help because building fighter jets requires more complex technologies,” the report said.

“But because of international sanctions imposed on the North, Russia won’t likely sell it readily,” it said.

Choe, a member of the Politburo Presidium and Secretariat of the Workers’ Party of Korea, paid a seven-day visit to Russia. He met with President Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and handed over to the Russian leader a personal message from Kim Jong Un.