North Korean leader sends condolence message on Russian ambassador's death

Russian Ambassador to North Korea Aleksandr Matsegora (left) speaks with a visiting Russian official in Pyongyang on Nov. 10, 2025, in this image from the Russian Embassy in the country.

SEOUL, December 9 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent a condolence message to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the death of Moscow's ambassador to Pyongyang, state media reported on Tuesday.

According to North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency, Kim said, "The sudden demise of the ambassador at the present time when the development of relations between the [North] and Russia have entered a crucial historic phase is indeed a heartrending event and a great loss not only to the Russian government and people but also to him and the [North Korean] people."

Expressing deep sorrow over the ambassador's unexpected death, Kim said that Matsegora was a "close friend and comrade of the [North Korean] people who devoted his whole life" to the development of bilateral relations between the two countries over the decades.

Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui also sent a condolence message to her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, praising Matsegora as a "veteran diplomat of versatile talents."

Russia's Foreign Ministry earlier said that Matsegora had died last Saturday at the age of 70, though the cause of his death has not been disclosed. Having started his career at the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang in 1999, he was appointed ambassador in December 2014, playing a key role in strengthening ties between the two traditional allies.

* This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.