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Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin Reaffirm Strategic Ties on Korean Liberation Day

morning · · thread: Ukraine Reports Deployment of North Korean Missile Unit in Russia

7 sources across 6 countries · 1 of them is linked to a state

Who reported this

  • Yonhap South Korea · Centre · State-affiliated · Cooperative; statutory national agency with state subsidy
  • The Korea Herald South Korea · Centre-right · Herald Corporation (Yeongpoong Group)
  • Infobae Argentina · Centre-right · Daniel Hadad
  • The Daily Star Bangladesh · Centre · Mediaworld Ltd
  • The Japan Times Japan · Centre · News2u Holdings
  • Rappler Philippines · Centre-left · Rappler Inc, staff-held
  • Reuters United Kingdom · Centre · Thomson Reuters Corporation

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.

Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told Russian President Vladimir Putin that he is proud of the strong ties between their nations and expects a more excellent future for their bilateral relations. The exchange of messages occurred to mark the 81st anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule. In his response to Putin, Kim expressed a firm belief that Russia would defend its territorial integrity and security interests under Putin's leadership. Putin described the relationship as having reached an unprecedentedly high level of comprehensive strategic partnership, noting that the two states are cooperating across all sectors to ensure regional security and stability.

The reaffirmation of ties follows a 2024 comprehensive strategic partnership agreement that has deepened economic, diplomatic, and military cooperation. Multiple reports indicate that North Korea has provided military support for Russia's war against Ukraine, including the deployment of troops and weapons. Some reports specify that Pyongyang has supplied ballistic missiles, combat vehicles, and artillery shells in exchange for refined petroleum and Russian military technology, such as anti aircraft defense systems. Ukraine has accused Moscow of using North Korean ballistic missiles in recent strikes and has claimed that up to 50,000 North Korean troops are slated for deployment, though evidence for the specific troop numbers has not been provided.

Other regional developments coincided with the exchange. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for peaceful dialogue and a peace regime to formally end the Korean War. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump posted a 2019 photo of himself and Kim Jong Un on Truth Social, stating that the two get along great. In a separate diplomatic tension, Putin visited a disputed island off Hokkaido, which drew condemnation from Japan.

How each side framed it

Centre-left
This outlet highlighted the historical context of the struggle against Japan and included the South Korean president's call for peaceful coexistence.
Centre
These outlets focused on the official state communications and the broader geopolitical context of the Russia Ukraine war.
Centre-right
These outlets emphasized the specific military exchanges, including the types of weaponry traded and the strategic goals of the partnership.

Sources

100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.