(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead with latest info; ADDS details in last 3 paras)
SEOUL, April 26 (Yonhap) — North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met with the speaker of Russia’s lower house and the defense minister in Pyongyang on Sunday, foreign media reports said, reaffirming the close military alliance between the two nations.
Kim met Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, who visited the country to attend the opening ceremony of a memorial museum honoring soldiers killed while fighting for Russia in its war with Ukraine, according to Russia’s Tass news agency.
This photo, captured from the Telegram channel of the Russian Embassy in North Korea on April 26, 2026, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L) and Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
During the meeting, Volodin conveyed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s congratulations on Kim’s reelection as chairman of the State Affairs Commission.
He also expressed gratitude for North Korea’s “fraternal support” for Russia, saying: “We jointly honor the memory of those heroes who gave their lives for the freedom of our homeland. This is truly a gesture from a friend,” according to Tass.
Bilateral ties between Kim and Putin “have become key to building the future, especially during the most difficult times,” Volodin added.
North Korea was set to open the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats in Overseas Military Operations in Pyongyang, commemorating its soldiers who died while fighting for Russia in the war.
The North deployed around 15,000 combat troops to support Russia in the war after Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a strategic partnership treaty in June 2024.
Later in the day, Kim held separate talks with visiting Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, where the two sides discussed ways to strengthen bilateral military cooperation, according to Tass.
“We are prepared to sign a Russian-Korean military cooperation plan for the 2027-31 period this year,” Belousov said. “Russian-Korean interstate relations are at an unprecedentedly high level.”
The remarks suggest the two countries aim to expand their military cooperation into a longer-term framework beyond short-term coordination, such as troop deployments in the war in Ukraine.
graceoh@yna.co.kr
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