NHK has learned that arrangements are being made for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Russia's Far East.

The information comes after The New York Times reported on Monday that Kim plans to travel to Vladivostok later this month to meet with Putin, citing senior US officials and other sources.

Russian government sources told NHK on Wednesday that candidate sites for the summit include Far Eastern Federal University on an island off central Vladivostok.

At the university, the Eastern Economic Forum international gathering is scheduled to be held for four days from Sunday. Security has already been tightened there.

Sources at the university revealed on Tuesday that students and others entering the campus have been instructed to take coronavirus tests.

Topics in the summit will likely include the North's possible supply of weapons to Russia as Moscow's aggression in Ukraine continues.

The sources said a visit by the two leaders to military facilities in the region is being considered.

But the Russian government sources added that the North Korean side has a history of changing plans, indicating discussions on the meeting will continue.

It would be the second summit between the leaders, following one in 2019, also in Vladivostok.