Russia’s top diplomat is scheduled to visit North Korea during the week of July 6. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s trip to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) highlights the growing ties between Russia and North Korea.
Why was the invitation extended?
According to North Korea’s state media, the Korean Central News Agency, the DPRK’s Foreign Ministry extended an invitation to Lavrov following a visit by Russia’s top security official, Sergei Shoigu, who met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang in June.
After that visit, Shoigu stated that North Korea plans to send thousands of military construction workers and deminers to assist in rebuilding areas in Russia’s Kursk region. This move underscores the DPRK’s increasing support for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war efforts in Ukraine. Kim has already sent thousands of troops and military equipment, including artillery and ballistic missiles, to aid Russia’s invasion.
What other deals have Russia and North Korea made?
Lavrov last visited North Korea in June 2024, when he accompanied President Vladimir Putin for a summit with Kim in Pyongyang. During that meeting, they signed a strategic partnership agreement committing both countries to mutual support in the event of aggression.
Leadership in Pyongyang and Moscow had denied any North Korean involvement in the war until April, when they officially acknowledged that DPRK soldiers had fought alongside Russian forces in the Kursk border region. While officials from South Korea, the U.S. and Ukraine have not disclosed the exact number of North Korean troops in Russia, they estimate that North Korea deployed approximately 10,000 to 12,000 soldiers in late 2024, with an additional 3,000 to 4,000 sent this year.