North Korea, Russia reaffirm ties on Korean Liberation Day, as Kim sends Putin more troops

On North Korean Liberation Day, Kim Jong Un reiterated his strong ties with Russia in a message to President Vladimir Putin, according to KCNA state news agency. The North Korean leader's message came in response to Putin's congratulatory note on the 81st anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War Two, which occurred on Saturday.

Putin affirmed that the alliance between the two nations was established during the Soviet Union's fight against Japan and stated that cooperation would persist in all sectors. Kim expressed optimism about the future of ties that have advanced the history of joint struggle for justice and cherished traditions of friendship. Since the secretive state began deploying troops and weapons to bolster Russia's war against Ukraine, North Korea and Russia have grown closer.

In recognition of the liberation anniversary, the Russian vessel Pallada paid a goodwill visit to Wonsan port, where it was welcomed by North Korean provincial officials and Russian embassy staff. On the same day, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for discussions with North Korea to achieve peaceful coexistence, urging Seoul's Liberation Day ceremony to address the need for safeguards to avoid conflict and to transition from an armistice to a peace regime.

Lee advocated for dialogues to formally conclude the 1950-1953 Korean War, which concluded with a ceasefire rather than a peace treaty, and suggested that discussions could consider ways to limit Pyongyang's nuclear program. However, Pyongyang has declined Lee's invitations and criticized US-South Korean military exercises as provocations.

In a separate incident, on Thursday, Putin's visit to an island off Hokkaido, which Japan claims and that Moscow seized immediately following Japan's 1945 surrender, drew condemnation from Tokyo.