North Korea's Kim says military ties with Russia will 'advance non-stop'

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Friday that the “military brotherhood” between his country and Russia would continue to advance “without pause,” according to state media outlet KCNA.

Kim made the remarks during a speech at a groundbreaking ceremony for a memorial honouring North Korean soldiers who fought alongside Russian forces in Russia’s Kursk region, amid Moscow’s ongoing war against Ukraine, KCNA reported.

“The years of militant fraternity, which have guaranteed the long-term development of our bilateral friendship through the sacrifice of precious blood, will continue to advance without stop,” Kim said, as quoted by KCNA. He added that attempts by “forces of domination and tyranny” would not hinder ties between the two countries.

The event was the latest in a series of public tributes to North Korean troops who fought in Russia to repel Ukrainian incursions.

Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin recently signed a mutual defence pact, deepening their strategic cooperation. North Korea has supplied Russia with troops, artillery shells, and missiles in support of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

According to estimates from Kyiv and Seoul, North Korea has deployed more than 10,000 soldiers to the conflict in exchange for economic aid and military technology from Moscow. South Korea’s intelligence agency estimated in September that around 2,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed in combat.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin remained defiant on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies in an effort to pressure the Kremlin to end the war.

Trump is scheduled to visit South Korea, North Korea’s long-standing rival next week.

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