North Korea ratifies defense pact with Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shake hands after a summit in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024. Yonhap

SEOUL, November 12 (AJP) - North Korea has ratified a treaty that pledges mutual military support between Moscow and Pyongyang.

The "comprehensive strategic partnership" signed by its leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang in June was ratified by "Kim's order," the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday.

The defense pact, which vows to provide mutual military assistance in case of aggression against either of them, will take effect once the two countries exchange the relevant documents.

Putin signed a law ratifying the treaty last week.

A 1961 treaty between North Korea and the Soviet Union during the Cold War initially included provisions for military intervention, which were abolished in 1996 following the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, in 2000, North Korea and Russia signed a new agreement that included clauses requiring immediate consultation if either country comes under attack. Many pundits believe that the latest treaty could be a restoration of the previous provisions.

Meanwhile, Ukraine said the previous day that its forces are engaging with around 50,000 Russian soldiers in Kursk, a Russian territory occupied by Ukraine.
   
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the country's forces "continue to hold back a nearly 50,000-strong enemy group outside Ukraine."
 
Ukraine's weekly newspaper The Kyiv Post also reported that "a long-awaited Kremlin offensive recently kicked off to liberate a Luxembourg-sized chunk of Russian Federation territory."

It added, "It looks like some North Korean soldiers are in the general Kursk region area, and Kyiv just claimed some were shelled. But there’s no serious evidence of North Koreans fighting."