FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show Vladimir Putin Meeting With The South Korean President?

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

A video shared on Facebook allegedly shows Russian President Vladimir Putin meeting with South Korea’s president.

Verdict: False

The video shows Putin meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, not South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

Fact Check:

Several foreign leaders, such as French President Emmanuel Macron, have reached out to Putin in an attempt to encourage him to seek a diplomatic end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to ABC News. Most recently, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with Putin in order to “ease the crisis,” Reuters reported.

Now, Facebook users are sharing a video that shows Putin meeting with a head of state at an unspecified time. “Russian president Vladimir Putin meets with South Korean President,” reads the post’s caption. (RELATED: Does This Video Show A Russian Fighter Jet Being Shot Down In Ukraine?)

However, the leader filmed next to Putin is North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, not the South Korean president. The North Korean flag is visible at several points throughout the footage.

A reverse image search found the video stems from a 2019 meeting in Vladivostok, Russia, between Putin and the North Korean leader. The video was posted to YouTube by Russian news agency Ruptly with the headline, “Russia: Putin and Kim meet for first time in Vladivostok.”


“Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un met for the first time in Vladivostok’s Far Eastern Federal University ahead of their summit on Thursday,” reads the description of the video. The summit was the first time the two met face-to-face, where they were to discuss North Korea’s nuclear program, according to CNBC.

Moon Jae-in and Putin did meet in June 2018 to discuss denuclearization efforts on the Korean peninsula, according to Reuters. There have been no announcements or reports suggesting the two will meet to discuss the Ukraine conflict.

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
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