Military Exchanges Intensify Following the Signing of the Quasi-Military Alliance Agreement
Russia's Deputy Minister of Defense visited North Korea to discuss military cooperation with Chairman Kim Jong-un. This marks the first visit by a high-ranking military official since Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit last month, signaling that both sides are beginning to actively pursue military cooperation.
North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un met with Alexey Krivoruchko, Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia, who visited North Korea on the 18th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
According to the Korean Central News Agency on the 19th, a military delegation led by Alexey Krivoruchko, Russia's Deputy Minister of Defense, met with Chairman Kim Jong-un at the Central Committee headquarters in Pyongyang the previous day. The agency explained, "At the meeting, there was a shared recognition of the importance and necessity of military cooperation between the two countries to safeguard mutual security interests."
The agency reported, "(Chairman Kim Jong-un) sent a combative greeting to the Russian military and people, who are waging a just war to defend the nation's sovereign rights and security, expressing the Democratic People's Republic of Korea government's and people's unwavering strong support and firm solidarity for the special military operation in Ukraine."
Chairman Kim stated, "The armies of the two countries, connected by a long historical tradition and traditional ties, must unite more firmly to vigorously lead the new era of Korea-Russia relations and play an important role in safeguarding regional and world peace and international justice."
Following President Putin's visit last month, North Korea and Russia signed a 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership' agreement, approaching a military alliance. Among the officials listed in the delegation accompanying the visit was Deputy Minister Krivoruchko. Recently, a delegation of military education officers from the Korean People's Army, led by Kim Kum-chol, president of Kim Il-sung Military University, visited Russia. As illegal military exchanges between North Korea and Russia intensify, international concerns are expected to grow. In the worst-case scenario, there are speculations that North Korea might dispatch engineering units to the Ukrainian battlefield and that Russia could transfer military technology.
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