The New York Times says that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's trip to Russia is a sign that he may be seeking a lucrative role in relaying Russian energy sources to South Korea and Japan.

The U.S. daily reported that South Korean analysts said Kim's efforts to pull his country out of its economic crisis depend largely on finding access to hard currency and relatively cheap energy.

The report said that for years, officials in Moscow and Seoul have urged North Korea to let the two nations build a pipeline through the North to carry Russian natural gas to South Korea and perhaps to Japan. The analysts predicted that North Korea can expect to earn as much as 500 million dollars a year in transit fees from the pipeline.

But the Times said that even if Kim and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev agree in principle on the energy deals, the dispute over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program will complicate the negotiations.