North Korea's Kim pledges 'invariable support' in Putin birthday letter
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wrote that he is "firmly convinced that the Russian people's sacred war of justice ... will surely end with their victory".
· CNA · JoinRead a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged his "invariable support" for Russia in a birthday letter to President Vladimir Putin, while hailing Moscow's war in Ukraine as "sacred", state media reported on Wednesday (Oct 7).
Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, North Korea has become a key ally of the Kremlin, sending troops to support Moscow's war effort in return for economic benefits and military technology.
South Korea's spy agency estimated last year that around 2,000 North Korean troops had been killed in the war, while a more recent assessment put the number killed or wounded at around 6,000.
"I am pleased to have good friendship with you and open up a new chapter for the development of the relations between our two countries," Kim said in the letter, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.
CNA Games
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
Show More
Show Less
"I reaffirm my invariable support for you and the Russian Federation," said Kim, adding that he is "firmly convinced that the Russian people's sacred war of justice ... will surely end with their victory".
The letter comes as the South Korean government's relationship with Ukraine has been strained, after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that two captured North Korean soldiers had been transferred to Seoul's custody.
Seoul has condemned the disclosure, saying the operation was meant to be confidential, complicating Kyiv's requests for armaments supplies.
South Korea has so far not provided lethal weapons to Ukraine, citing a domestic ban on militarily aiding countries at war.
Zelenskyy has suggested that Pyongyang is poised to send more troops to Russia to aid its war effort against Ukraine.
Newsletter
Week in Review
Subscribe to our Chief Editor’s Week in Review
Our chief editor shares analysis and picks of the week's biggest news every Saturday.
Newsletter
Morning Brief
Subscribe to CNA’s Morning Brief
An automated curation of our top stories to start your day.
Sign up for our newsletters
Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app