Archive · 7 Oct 2026
Kim Pledges ‘Invariable Support’ for Putin in Birthday Letter
Kim Jong Un sent Russian President Vladimir Putin a birthday letter.
Kim said North Korea would keep supporting Putin and Russia.
He called Russia’s war in Ukraine a “sacred war of justice” and said Russia would win.
Kim also said he wanted stronger ties between their countries.
Reports say North Korea has sent troops to help Russia, though the letter story does not give a troop count.
South Korean estimates say thousands of North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded.
South Korea and Ukraine disagree over the public announcement that two captured North Korean soldiers were transferred to Seoul.
South Korea says the transfer was meant to be confidential, while Ukraine says there was no prior confidentiality agreement.
Kim Jong Un reaffirmed North Korea’s “invariable support” for Vladimir Putin and called Russia’s war in Ukraine a “sacred war of justice.”
The birthday letter also expressed a desire to strengthen relations between North Korea and Russia, according to state media.
The reports describe North Korea as a military partner of Russia; one source says it sent about 14,000 to 15,000 troops since late 2024.
South Korean intelligence estimates cited in the reports put North Korean troop deaths at around 2,000 last year and total killed or wounded at around 6,000 in a later assessment.
Seoul and Kyiv have clashed over the disclosure that two captured North Korean soldiers were transferred to South Korean custody; the accounts differ on whether confidentiality had been agreed.
- Who
- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- What
- Kim reaffirmed North Korea’s support for Putin and Russia and called Russia’s war in Ukraine a “sacred war of justice.”
- When
- The letter was reported on Wednesday; one report dates the coverage October 7.
- Where
- The letter concerns relations between North Korea and Russia; its place of writing or delivery is not stated.
- Why
- Kim said he valued his friendship with Putin and wanted to develop relations between their countries.
North Korean and South Korean Positions
Ukrainian Position
Disclosure of the soldiers’ transfer
North Korean and South Korean Positions
South Korean officials said the transfer of the two captured North Korean soldiers was intended to remain confidential.
Ukrainian Position
Ukraine denied that there had been a prior confidentiality agreement.
Russia’s war and North Korean support
North Korean and South Korean Positions
Kim described Russia’s war as a “sacred war of justice,” pledged support for Putin, and expressed confidence in Russian victory.
Ukrainian Position
The reports describe Ukraine as seeking armaments supplies from South Korea; one says Seoul has not supplied lethal weapons, citing a domestic restriction.
- Letter author
- Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s leader
- Recipient
- Vladimir Putin, Russian president
- Promise
- Kim reaffirmed his “invariable support” for Putin and the Russian Federation.
- Description of the war
- Kim called it the Russian people’s “sacred war of justice” and predicted victory.
- Reported troop deployment
- One report cites Western and South Korean officials estimating 14,000 to 15,000 North Korean troops sent since late 2024.
- Casualty estimates
- Reports cite around 2,000 North Korean troops killed in an earlier estimate and around 6,000 killed or wounded in a later assessment.
- Prisoner transfer dispute
- Two captured North Korean soldiers were transferred to South Korean custody; Seoul said the disclosure breached intended confidentiality, while Kyiv denied a prior confidentiality agreement.
- South Korean arms policy
- One report says South Korea has not provided Ukraine with lethal weapons, citing a domestic ban on militarily aiding countries at war.
