MOSCOW, September 15. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin praised North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for his knowledge of the space launch process while they were at the Vostochny Spaceport, saying that Kim is an expert in space travel.

Shots of the dialogue were posted by VGTRK journalist Pavel Zarubin on his Telegram channel.

When visiting the Vostochny Spaceport on Wednesday, Kim Jong Un was informed in detail by Roscosmos representatives about all the stages involved in a space launch, starting from the assembly of a launch vehicle and spacecraft, going on to their fueling and finishing with the liftoff. The North Korean leader showed great interest in the process.

When Nikolay Nestechuk, Director General of the Centre for the Operation of Ground-Based Space Infrastructure, was talking about Soyuz-2 launch vehicle preparations, Kim Jong Un asked in which direction rockets launched from the Vostochny Spaceport fly.

"Eastward?" he suggested. "And where do the separated parts fall?" the North Korean leader wanted to know. "I bet the first part falls to the ground, whereas the second part splashes into the ocean," he assumed. "Absolutely right!" Nestechuk verified his conjecture.

"You are an expert!" the Russian president told his counterpart. In response to this remark, Kim Jong Un laughed heartily.