6 months ago
2
Russian President Vladimir Putin said connected Monday (October 27, 2025) that his country's ties with North Korea were processing "as planned", arsenic helium hosted North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui successful the Kremlin.
Ms. Choe passed connected "warm wishes" from North Korean person Kim Jong Un aft she had earlier hailed the "spiritual closeness" betwixt Moscow and Pyongyang during a gathering with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
The sojourn is the latest successful a flurry of diplomatic exchanges betwixt the 2 countries and comes conscionable days aft Mr. Kim pledged to beforehand subject ties with Moscow.
Here's what we cognize astir relations betwixt the 2 countries:
North Korea, 1 of the world's astir diplomatically isolated nations, has deepened practice with Russia since Mr. Putin ordered troops into Ukraine successful February 2022.
Russia and North Korea signed a strategical concern statement successful 2024 that obliges either broadside to supply "military and different assistance" should the different beryllium attacked.
In precocious 2024, North Korea sent thousands of soldiers and instrumentality loads of weapons to assistance Russia propulsion Ukrainian forces retired of its occidental Kursk region.
At slightest 600 North Korean soldiers died during that violative and thousands much sustained injuries, according to South Korean estimates.
Moscow and Pyongyang spent months denying and ignoring Western reports of the deployment.
Only successful April, erstwhile Russia declared it had expelled Kyiv's forces, did Mr. Putin publically admit the relation of the "heroic" North Koreans who fought alongside his army.
North Korea besides acknowledged the deployment and, for the archetypal clip since its founding successful 1948, acknowledged it had mislaid soldiers connected overseas soil.
Earlier this month, North Korean authorities media reported that the state had started operation of a memorial for soldiers killed successful the fighting.
The United States says determination is grounds Russia is stepping up its enactment for North Korea, including providing assistance connected precocious abstraction and outer technology.
Ukraine says it has recovered fragments of North Korean weapons including missiles connected the battlefield.
'Closest comrade'
Russia and North Korea person enjoyed historically adjacent ties since the Soviet era.
The USSR was the archetypal state to recognise North Korea successful 1948 and provided subject enactment to Pyongyang during the Korean War.
North Korea was 1 of lone 5 UN countries to ballot against condemning Russia's violative connected Ukraine successful 2022 and has since expressed enactment for Moscow's territorial claims implicit 5 confederate and eastbound Ukrainian regions.
Mr. Kim and Mr. Putin person besides repeatedly exchanged lukewarm words.
In day messages, Mr. Kim has referred to Mr. Putin arsenic his "closest comrade".
Trade and tourism
In April, the 2 countries began constructing the archetypal roadworthy span betwixt them.
And successful July, Russia launched nonstop commercialized flights betwixt Moscow and Pyongyang amid expanding numbers of officials and delegations shuttling betwixt the 2 capitals.
Earlier this year, North Korea opened a monolithic tourer portion connected its eastbound seashore that has welcomed Russian visitors.
North Korea is 1 of the world's astir closed nations, regularly criticised by rights groups for its repressive policies and outlawing of dissent.
The United Nations said past period that the past decennary wrong the state had been marked by "increased suffering, repression and fear".
