Kim Jong-un Sends Letter to Putin on His 5th Term... Showcasing North Korea-Russia Close Ties

Repeated Congratulations Following March Presidential Election Victory
From Arms Deals to Luxury Goods, 'Blatant Close Ties'

Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, sent a congratulatory letter to Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, who succeeded in his 'fifth term re-election.'

According to the Korean Central News Agency on the 8th, Chairman Kim sent the letter through the North Korean Embassy in Russia on the 7th (local time), the day President Putin began his fifth term. The agency stated, "Comrade Kim Jong-un warmly congratulated Comrade Putin once again on his inauguration as President of the Russian Federation in the letter and wished for excellent achievements in his responsible work for the Russian state and people."

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un [Image source=Yonhap News]

Chairman Kim also sent a congratulatory message when President Putin secured a landslide victory in the Russian presidential election held in mid-March this year, confirming his fifth term. In that message, he said, "I will firmly join hands with you to respond to the demands of the times, open a new chapter in the long historical roots and traditions of Korea-Russia (Buk-Ro) friendship, and vigorously lead the great cause of building a strong nation, which is the aspiration and desire of the peoples of both countries."

Since the North Korea-Russia summit in September last year, Chairman Kim and President Putin have emphasized multifaceted cooperation and continued close coordination. Despite international concerns over North Korea's advancement of nuclear weapons and missiles, Russia has taken on a thorough 'backing' role, blatantly violating sanctions against North Korea by trading weapons and providing luxury goods. On the 2nd (local time), the United States revealed that Russia supplied North Korea with refined petroleum exceeding the annual supply limit set by the UN Security Council's sanctions resolutions on North Korea this year. The U.S. pointed out that this might be a 'quid pro quo' for North Korea's large-scale supply of ammunition, ballistic missiles, and other materials to Russia, which is at war in Ukraine.