Senior North Korean military official mentions alliance with Russia, calls retaking of Kursk a ‘triumph over pure evil’

A senior North Korean military official visiting Russia has described relations with Russia as a “strategic alliance and brotherly partnership,” amid growing military cooperation between the two countries.

Pak Yong-il, deputy director of the Korea People’s Army General Political Bureau, made the remarks during a speech at the third International Anti-Fascist Forum in Russia on Wednesday, according to state media reports on Friday.

North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun reported that Pak, speaking as head of the North Korean military delegation, said that North Korea “will continue to confidently exercise its sovereign right to self-defense in response to the extremely dangerous and confrontational acts of hostile forces attempting to revive fascism in the Asia-Pacific region.”

He also added that the North Korean government’s “consistent stance of actively contributing to the establishment of an independent and just multipolar world order free from domination, subjugation and hegemony,” according to the reports.

Russian state news agency Tass also reported that Pak described Russia’s recent reclaim of Kursk as “a triumph of justice over pure evil.” He also said the current ties between Pyongyang and Moscow mark “a new chapter in history proving the strong military partnership between the two nations” and reaffirmed the relationship as “a top-level strategic alliance and brotherhood.”

The reaffirmation of North Korea—Russia ties comes ahead of Russia’s Victory Day on May 9. Experts see the messaging as part of a coordinated effort to highlight the growing partnership between the two countries.

North Korea has also used recent events to signal its intention to move away from focusing solely on the United States. Some analysts suggest Pyongyang may be preparing to leverage stronger ties with Moscow as a strategic fallback if future negotiations with Washington falter.

The North has already taken steps to formalize its criticism of U.S. policy. On April 9, Kim Yo-jong, vice department director of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party, issued a statement calling denuclearization “an impossible delusion.” However, she avoided mentioning U.S. President Donald Trump by name, a sign the North may still be leaving the door open for talks with the second Trump administration.

Should Choe Ryong-hae, president of the Supreme People’s Assembly’s (SPA) standing committee, among other high-level North Korean officials, attend the May 9 ceremony in Moscow, it would represent a highly visible demonstration of Pyongyang’s military and political alignment with Moscow.

Following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent expression of gratitude to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for sending North Korean troops, there is speculation that Choe may deliver a personal letter from Kim and possibly hold discussions about Kim’s future visit to Russia.

However, South Korean intelligence officials believe it is unlikely that Kim Jong-un will attend the ceremony in person. Pyongyang typically avoids multilateral summit formats, and there have been no signs of large-scale military exercises in North Korea that would normally precede a parade appearance. Such training would typically begin a month prior.

North Korea last sent a delegation to the Victory Day parade in 2015, led by Kim Yong-nam, then-head of the Presidium of the SPA. Officials say that relations between North Korea and Russia are significantly deeper than at that time.

North Korean soldiers who were reportedly deployed to front lines in Ukraine or who are undergoing adaptation training near Moscow and in Russia’s Far East remain on Russian soil, further highlighting the military integration.

Experts say a “surprise event” — such as the appearance of dispatched North Korean soldiers labeled “war heroes” alongside a Pyongyang delegation or marching in the parade with Russian troops — cannot be ruled out.

Putin hinted at the possibility during the forum on Tuesday, stating that he “deeply values the participation of foreign military units marching shoulder to shoulder with the Russian army in the Red Square parade.” Delegates from North Korea, Belarus, Vietnam and China attended the forum.

BY LEE YU-JUNG [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]