North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledges unconditional support for Russian President Putin's policies

JAKARTA - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un promised "unconditional" support for Russian President Vladimir Putin's policies, Pyongyang's state media reported on Friday.

"I will respect and support all your policies and decisions unconditionally, and I am willing to always be with you for you and your Russia. This choice will be constant and permanent," Kim said in a letter to President Putin, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), as reported by Anadolu (9/1).

"I have felt the true friendship between us again and taking this opportunity, I would like to emphasize that I consider the friendship with you as the most valuable and proud," the North Korean leader wrote.

Leader Kim sent the letter on Thursday in response to a congratulatory message from the Russian leader, according to KCNA, which did not say when or under what circumstances President Putin sent his letter.

It is known that Pyongyang's relations with Moscow have become closer in recent years, including the deployment of North Korean troops in the Russian-Ukrainian war.

North Korea sent about 1,000 military engineers to the city of Kursk in western Russia in August to help Russian forces clear mines planted during the battle with Ukrainian forces.

The deployment follows an earlier dispatch of some 15,000 combat troops to support Russia's war effort, according to South Korean intelligence agencies, which claim Pyongyang lost 2,000 troops in the war.

North Korea and Russia signed a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2024, which promises reciprocal military support if either of them is attacked by a third party.