North Korea–Russia relations
The Soviet Union occupied the northern part of the Korean Peninsula after Japan surrendered in 1945. Moscow drew a dividing line at the 38th parallel to share control with Washington. By December 1945, Soviet authorities installed Kim Il Sung as first secretary of the North Korean Branch Bureau of the Communist Party of Korea. He served as the top administrative leader in the north while remaining subordinate to Soviet General Terentii Shtykov until Chinese intervention occurred during the war. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea officially emerged on the 9th of September 1948. Just three days later, the Soviet Union recognized this new state as the sole legitimate authority over the entire peninsula.
Archival evidence suggests that Kim Il Sung initiated the decision to invade South Korea rather than following direct orders from Moscow. Stalin concluded that the Truman administration would not intervene because Soviet intelligence had gathered information about limitations in US atomic bomb stockpiles and defense program cuts. The Soviet 64th Fighter Aviation Corps participated directly in the conflict by providing badly needed pilots for North Korea and China. This military support formed the backbone of North Korean operations throughout the Cold War era.
In 1956, pro-China figures known as the Yan'an faction attempted to remove Kim Il Sung from power with backing from both Beijing and Moscow. Anastas Mikoyan and Peng Dehuai led a joint delegation to Pyongyang to instruct Kim to cease purges and reinstate faction leaders. This August faction incident became the historical basis for North Korean fears regarding foreign interference. By 1961, North Korea and the Soviet Union signed a Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance to formalize their alliance.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Boris Yeltsin's government refused to provide support for North Korea while favoring South Korea instead. The first meeting of the Inter-governmental Commission for Trade, Economic, and Scientific-Technical Cooperation occurred in spring 1996 under Deputy Premier Vitali Ignatenko. Both sides agreed to restore bilateral trade to its 1991 level during this visit. Kim Jong Il did not reply to Yeltsin's personal message or meet with the Russian delegation because he expected Gennady Zyuganov to win the presidential election.
Vladimir Putin's rise to power in March 2000 marked a critical turning point for Pyongyang. Kim Jong Il stated that Russia finally had a leader with whom to do business. A Joint Declaration was signed during the first summit between the two nations in July 2000. This document represented the first international agreement signed by Kim Jong Il as General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea.
Relations deteriorated further when Russia condemned North Korean missile tests starting in 2006. Moscow supported United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718 which imposed an embargo on technologies supporting missile programs. In December 2014, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong made a ten-day visit to Russia. By May 2012, Aleksandr Timonin became the new ambassador to North Korea after presenting credentials at the Mansudae Assembly Hall.
North Korea became the third country to recognize the independence of breakaway states Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Ukraine terminated diplomatic ties with Pyongyang in response to this recognition. Beginning from September 2022, Russia reportedly purchased millions of shells and rockets from North Korea to aid its invasion efforts.
Kim Jong Un visited Russia in September 2023 for his first foreign trip since 2019. The meeting lasted over four hours at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur Oblast. Putin expressed appreciation for North Korea's support while Kim affirmed he would always be with Russia. During discussions about satellite development, Putin confirmed that such assistance was part of the exchange for ammunition stockpiles.
President Vladimir Putin traveled to Pyongyang in June 2024 for the first time since 2000. He met with Kim Jong Un to sign the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership which formalized a defense treaty between the two nations. This agreement pledged mutual aid and strengthened cooperation in security, trade, and cultural ties including a mutual defense clause. By November 2024, both countries had fully implemented the partnership agreement.
Ninety-three North Korean factories were built with Russian technical assistance after the Korean War. At the peak of bilateral relations in 1988, approximately 60% of North Korea's trade involved the Soviet Union. Much of this commerce consisted of raw materials and petroleum provided at concessional prices. In August 2011, the Kremlin announced it was providing food assistance including some 50,000 tons of wheat.
Russia wrote off 90% of North Korea's debt totaling about $11 billion in April 2014. The remaining $1 billion would finance Russian investment in humanitarian and energy projects within North Korea. This deal removed legal blocks hindering financing of trade between the two countries. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has increasingly relied on North Korean labor to address workforce shortages caused by the war.
Intelligence sources estimate that over 10,000 North Korean workers were sent to Russia in 2024 with expectations exceeding 50,000 total. Many escapees described slave-like conditions involving long working hours often exceeding 18 hours per day. Workers are closely monitored by North Korean security agents and housed in overcrowding shipping containers or unfinished buildings. Wages remain largely withheld until return to North Korea where most earnings transfer to the state as loyalty fees.
North Korean Defense Minister Vice-Marshal Kim Il-chol visited Moscow from April 26 to 28, 2001. He signed a deal on bilateral cooperation in the defense industry alongside Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov. Both governments also agreed on a framework for intergovernmental cooperation regarding military equipment during this visit.
In September 2022, the New York Times reported that Russia was buying millions of artillery shells and rockets from North Korea due to sanctions imposed after its invasion. A senior US official confirmed in December 2022 that Russia's Wagner Group received an arms shipment from North Korea to bolster forces in Ukraine. By July 2023, Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu met with Kim Jong-un during ceremonies marking the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War.
NATO stated in October 2024 that North Korean troops had been sent to Russia with units deployed in the Kursk area. The North Korean government confirmed deployment of 14,000 troops to the Russian front in Ukraine by the 28th of April 2025. Estimates suggest DPRK forces have suffered more than 6,000 killed or wounded as of June 2025.
Russia supported United Nations Security Council Resolution 1695 condemning the 2006 North Korean missile test. In October 2006, Moscow voted for Resolution 1718 which imposed an embargo on technologies supporting missile and nuclear programs. Following a nuclear test on the 25th of May 2009, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a sharp note calling it a violation of previous resolutions.
President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree implementing intensified sanctions against Pyongyang's nuclear programs on the 30th of March 2010. This presidential decree banned purchase of weapons and relevant materials from the DPRK by entities under Russian jurisdiction. It also prohibited transit of weapons through Russian territory or export to North Korea. Any financial aid facilitating North Korea's nuclear program became forbidden under these regulations.
Russian position regarding North Korea's nuclear program changed dramatically after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In September 2024, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia viewed denuclearizing North Korea as a closed issue. He explained that Russia understood North Korea's logic in relying on nuclear weapons against the United States. By July 2025, Lavrov said Russia respects North Korea's aspirations and understands reasons why it pursues nuclear development.
Common questions
When did the Soviet Union occupy the northern part of the Korean Peninsula?
The Soviet Union occupied the northern part of the Korean Peninsula after Japan surrendered in 1945. Moscow drew a dividing line at the 38th parallel to share control with Washington.
What date did North Korea officially emerge as a state?
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea officially emerged on the 9th of September 1948. Just three days later, the Soviet Union recognized this new state as the sole legitimate authority over the entire peninsula.
Why did Stalin conclude that the Truman administration would not intervene in the Korean War?
Stalin concluded that the Truman administration would not intervene because Soviet intelligence had gathered information about limitations in US atomic bomb stockpiles and defense program cuts. This assessment influenced his decision regarding Kim Il Sung initiating the invasion of South Korea.
When was the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed between Russia and North Korea?
President Vladimir Putin traveled to Pyongyang in June 2024 for the first time since 2000 to sign the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership which formalized a defense treaty between the two nations. By November 2024, both countries had fully implemented the partnership agreement.
How many North Korean workers were sent to Russia in 2024 according to intelligence sources?
Intelligence sources estimate that over 10,000 North Korean workers were sent to Russia in 2024 with expectations exceeding 50,000 total. Many escapees described slave-like conditions involving long working hours often exceeding 18 hours per day.