North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a message marking the anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japan, North Korea’s state news agency KCNA reported on Sunday.
Kim was responding to a congratulatory message from Putin marking Saturday’s 81st anniversary of Japan’s surrender in the Second World War. Putin said the relationship between Russia and North Korea had been forged when Soviet soldiers fought against Japan and that cooperation between the two countries would continue “in all the sectors”.
In his reply, Kim expressed confidence in the future of relations between Pyongyang and Moscow, describing their ties as having preserved a history of “common struggle for justice” and valuable traditions of friendship.
The exchange comes as relations between the two countries have deepened significantly. North Korea and Russia have expanded cooperation since Pyongyang began deploying troops and weapons to support Russia’s war against Ukraine, marking North Korea’s most significant involvement in an overseas war since the 1950s.
The growing partnership was also visible in Wonsan on Saturday, when the Russian ship Pallada arrived at the North Korean port for a goodwill visit connected to the liberation anniversary. The vessel was welcomed by North Korean provincial officials and staff from the Russian embassy, according to KCNA.
The increasingly close relationship between Pyongyang and Moscow is unfolding alongside renewed diplomatic efforts by South Korea to reduce tensions on the Korean peninsula.
On Saturday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for talks with North Korea aimed at establishing peaceful coexistence. Speaking at Seoul’s Liberation Day ceremony, Lee said the two Koreas needed safeguards to prevent conflict and should work towards replacing the armistice that ended the 1950-1953 Korean War with a “peace regime”.
The Korean War ended in a ceasefire rather than a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula technically without a formal end to the conflict. Lee called for dialogue to formally conclude the war and said discussions could also examine ways to curb North Korea’s nuclear programme.
Pyongyang has rejected Lee’s overtures and criticised joint US-South Korean military exercises as provocations, maintaining its opposition to what it regards as military pressure from the allies.
The anniversary celebrations also carried wider regional significance amid tensions between Russia and Japan. On Thursday, Putin drew condemnation from Tokyo after visiting an island off Hokkaido that is claimed by Japan and was seized by Moscow in the days following Japan’s surrender in 1945.
The timing of Putin’s visit and the latest exchange between the Russian and North Korean leaders highlight the broader geopolitical significance of the Second World War’s legacy in East Asia. For Pyongyang and Moscow, the historical memory of their wartime struggle against Japan continues to provide a foundation for political ties, while their present-day cooperation has increasingly become linked to the security environment surrounding the Korean peninsula and Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Kim’s latest message indicates that North Korea sees the relationship with Moscow as one that extends beyond current circumstances, invoking a shared history and longstanding traditions of friendship. At the same time, South Korea’s renewed call for dialogue illustrates the competing diplomatic approaches surrounding the peninsula, with Seoul advocating negotiations while Pyongyang continues to reject its overtures and deepen its relationship with Russia.
