Russia has invited North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to a ceremony marking the end of the Second World War in May, Japanese news outlet Asahi Shimbun has claimed.

If Kim were to attend the Russian ceremony, it would mean his first state visit since coming to power in 2011.

Quoting anonymous diplomatic sources, the Asahi Shimbum article claimed that during the visit Kim would likely meet Russia President Vladimir Putin, with the hope of cooperating on Russian natural gas exports to South Korea.

Although the article said that it was unknown if Kim would accept the offer, experts question