North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's special envoy flew into Moscow on Tuesday amid reports that a technical glitch with his plane had caused a delay in his arrival.

Choe Ryong-hae, the Workers' Party of Korea secretary, is leading a high-profile delegation which includes Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan, Vice Economy Minister Ri Kwang-gun, and No Kwang-chol, deputy chief of the General Staff of the North's military, 

They are widely expected to meet President Vladimir Putin, although a related schedule has not been confirmed yet.

A Kremlin official said there will be no meeting between Putin and Choe on Tuesday, but a diplomatic source raised the possibility of their meeting on the day.

The North's delegation had left Pyongyang, but its plane flew back due to an unspecified problem, according to diplomatic sources. The plane left Pyongyang again late Monday, they added. 

Choe emerged out of the international airport, north of Moscow, about 40 minutes after landing early Tuesday. He was greeted by several Russian foreign ministry officials and left the airport in a sedan.

The North's state media have not reported on his arrival yet.

Choe's trip here is viewed as part of Pyongyang's efforts to reach out to Moscow for diplomatic and other support amid reports of strained relations with China.

This week, a United Nations committee plans to vote on a resolution against North Korea for its human rights conditions. 

Co-sponsored by the European Union and more than 40 nations, it encourages the Security Council to refer Pyongyang to the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. Russia is a permanent member of the council with veto power.

Apparently, Pyongyang's traditional ties with Beijing are not as good as before.  

Announcing Choe's trip last week, the North's state media did not elaborate on his mission.

Russia said later that three main issues would be discussed -- ways to make the Korean Peninsula nuclear free, security conditions in Northeast Asia and bilateral relations.

Choe, who doubles as a member of the party's central committee political bureau presidium, is one of the closest aides to Kim. He is known to be the second- or third-most powerful leader in the communist regime.

Choe also plans to travel to Russia's far eastern cities of Khabarovsk and Vladivostok before returning to Pyongyang Monday, according to the Russian government. (Yonhap)