A landmark defense pact between North Korea and Russia, signed this past June by their respective leaders, has officially come into effect following the exchange of ratification documents, AFP reported on Wednesday, citing North Korea’s state news agency KCNA.
The treaty’s implementation comes amid accusations from the United States and South Korea that North Korea has deployed over 10,000 soldiers to support Russia in its war against Ukraine.
Experts suggest that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is seeking to gain advanced technology and combat experience for his troops in return for this assistance.
The strategic partnership agreement was signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang and commits both nations to provide military aid "without delay" in the event of an attack on either country. It also solidifies their joint stance against Western sanctions.
The treaty went into effect on Wednesday, after the ratification documents were exchanged in Moscow by North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jong Gyu and his Russian counterpart, Andrei Rudenko, according to KCNA.
Last month, Russian lawmakers unanimously approved the agreement, which was later signed into law by Putin. In North Korea, the pact was ratified through a decree issued by Kim.
KCNA described the treaty as a "strong driving force accelerating the establishment of an independent and just multi-polarized world order without domination, subjugation and hegemony."
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang has deepened.
Both countries are subject to extensive UN sanctions — North Korea for its nuclear weapons program and Russia for its actions in Ukraine.
During Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov’s recent visit to Pyongyang, Kim reiterated his commitment to supporting Russia. He stated that North Korea’s government, military, and people would "invariably support the policy of the Russian Federation to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity."
The agreement takes effect at a time when North Korea has been upping its rhetoric and has also staged dozens of launches of missiles this year.
Last week, Kim accused the United States of escalating tensions and provocations, and claimed the Korean peninsula is facing an unprecedented risk of nuclear war.
“We have already gone as far as we can on negotiating with the United States, but what we became certain of from the result is not the superpower's willingness to coexist, but its thorough stance of power and aggressive and hostile policy toward us that can never change,” he stated.
Those remarks came days after Kim called on the country’s military to enhance its warfighting capabilities.
Several weeks ago, North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward the East Sea, just days after it announced it tested an intercontinental ballistic missile, prompting condemnation from the South, the United States and Japan.
In mid-September, North Korea fired a salvo of short-range ballistic missiles.