N. Korean leader congratulates Putin on reelection

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un attend a meeting at the Vostochny Сosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, Sept. 13, 2023. Reuters-Yonhap

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Monday congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin for being reelected as Moscow's leader, state media said, amid deepening military cooperation between the two nations.

Putin won a landslide victory in Russia's election Sunday for a fifth term in office, which will extend his 24-year rule for another six years.

Kim's congratulatory message will be delivered to Russia's foreign ministry via North Korea's top envoy to Russia, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Following the Kim-Putin summit in September last year, North Korea and Russia have been deepening military cooperation amid suspicions that Pyongyang has provided munitions and artillery to Moscow for use in Russia's war in Ukraine.

Kim used an Aurus Senat limousine, gifted by Putin, during last week's public event for the first time, state media reported Saturday. The KCNA said the gift is "clear proof" of the two nations' friendly ties.

Russia's sending of a luxury car to North Korea is a breach of United Nations Security Council resolutions that ban the supply, sale and transfer of luxury goods, including automobiles, to Pyongyang. (Yonhap)