Kim pledges full support to Russian war

Seoul

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un has promised full and unconditional support to Russia in its war against Ukraine. He made this clear during a meeting with Russia’s top security official, Sergei Shoigu, in Pyongyang, as reported by North Korea’s state media on Thursday.

Kim said North Korea will strongly back Russia’s stance on key world matters, including the Ukraine war. He also promised to follow the rules of a mutual defence treaty signed between the two countries last year. This treaty says both sides will help each other if either is attacked.

Shoigu’s visit to North Korea comes as both countries grow closer, especially in military matters. North Korea has already sent about 15,000 troops to help Russia in the Ukraine war. South Korea’s intelligence agency says more than 4,700 of those soldiers have been injured or killed.

The two leaders also discussed restoring Russia’s Kursk region and ways to honor fallen North Korean soldiers. The visit happened on the same day South Korea swore in its new president, Lee Jae-myung. Officials believe the meeting may have included talks on inter-Korean ties and the overall security in the Korean Peninsula.

Shoigu’s latest visit is his second in under three months and comes just before the one-year anniversary of the defense pact signed in June 2024. The close ties between Russia and North Korea continue to raise concern in the region and among Western nations watching the war in Ukraine.