First military exchange between Russia and North Korea since leaders' meeting

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the delegation of military training officials was led by Kim Il Sung Military University President Kim Geum Chol. However, the news agency did not provide further details about the visit, such as the purpose or locations the delegation will visit in Russia.

Named after the founder of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Kim Il Sung Military University trains elite military officers and the country's leaders. Leader Kim Jong-un also attended the school after studying in Switzerland.

The military university delegation marks the latest North Korean military visit to Russia as the two countries have exchanged a record number of senior officials over the past year, including Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang in June.

At the summit in North Korea, President Putin and leader Kim Jong-un signed a treaty on “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” that includes a mutual defense agreement.

After the signing ceremony, leader Kim Jong-un also stated that the treaty is a constructive, defensive and peaceful document, responding to the strategic relationship between the two countries in the new era when the positions of the two countries in the world's geopolitical structure have changed.

This document is said to replace the Treaty on Friendship and Mutual Assistance signed in 1961, the Treaty on Good-Neighborly Friendship and Cooperation signed in 2000, the Moscow Declaration of 2000 and the Pyongyang Declaration of 2001. Russia and North Korea affirmed the need for a new treaty in the context of profound changes in the geopolitical situation in the world and in the region, as well as qualitative changes in bilateral relations between the two countries in recent times.

Moscow asserted that the new treaty respects all the basic principles of international law, is non-confrontational and is not aimed against third countries but is aimed at ensuring greater stability in the Northeast Asian region.

The growing military ties between the two countries have worried officials in Seoul and Washington. South Korea and the United States have produced evidence of North Korea shipping weapons to Russia during its conflict with Ukraine and believe Pyongyang may be receiving support from Moscow. Both Russia and North Korea have denied any arms transfers.

In a recent statement, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol warned Russia of negative consequences from friendly relations between the two countries. At the NATO summit in the US this week, President Yoon will highlight the threat of Pyongyang to European leaders.