A communal worker disassembles a billboard of acting President and Presidential candidate Petro Poroshenko, left, pictured face to face with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, April 15, 2019. The run-off vote of the Presidential elections will take place in Ukraine on 21 April 2019. EPA-Yonhap

A senior Russian diplomat has confirmed that preparations are underway for a summit between President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, a top Seoul official has said.

South Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told reporters on Monday that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Titov, reiterated the Kremlin's earlier announcement that Moscow has long been preparing for the first summit between the two leaders.

Cho and Titov held the 7th session of their countries' high-level strategic diplomatic dialogue in Moscow to discuss a range of bilateral issues, including ongoing peace efforts on the divided peninsula.

Before their meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that there have been preparations for what would be the first summit between Putin and Kim, though he did not offer any details.