North Korea will always stand with Russia, leader Kim tells Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un in Vladivostok, Russia April 25, 2019. Sputnik/Alexei Nikolsky/Kremlin via REUTERS/File Photo
SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that his country will always stand with Moscow, state media reported on Thursday.
In a message for Russia Day, a patriotic holiday celebrating Russia's independence, Kim called Putin his "dearest comrade" and praised their bilateral relations as a "genuine relationship between comrades-in-arms," KCNA reported.
"It is an unshakable will of the government of the DPRK and of my own steadfastly to carry on the DPRK-Russia relations," Kim was quoted as saying.
The DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
KCNA reported on Wednesday that Kim had sent congratulations on Russia Day to Putin.
Earlier this year, Pyongyang for the first time confirmed that it had sent troops to fight for Russia in the war in Ukraine under orders from leader Kim Jong Un after months of silence.
(Reporting by Hyunsu Yim; Editing by Sandra Maler)
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