N. Korea's top newspaper carries Putin's message thanking troop deployment to Russia
North Korean troops in Kursk are shown in this photo provided by TASS. Yonhap
North Korea on Tuesday published Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent statement thanking the country for sending its troops to Russia in its most-read local newspaper, a day after officially confirming the deployment.
The Rodong Sinmun, a daily run by the governing party and read widely by domestic readers, published Putin's full statement, issued the previous day, recognizing North Korean troops' contributions to what he described as Russia's liberation of the Kursk border region from Ukraine.
In a message issued Monday, Putin thanked North Korea and its leader Kim Jong-un for the active role played by North Korea troops in its war against Ukraine, saying that their bilateral friendship, forged on battlefields, will continue to grow in all areas.
The statement claimed that the deployment was in accordance with international laws and the treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership, which Putin and Kim signed in June last year in Pyongyang.
The same day, North Korea also officially confirmed for the first time that it had deployed troops to Russia, since thousands of its troops were sent for combat in October.
On Tuesday, the Rodong Sinmun also reported the top Russian general's tribute to the heroism and bravery shown by North Korean soldiers on the battlefield, expressed during his videoconference with Putin last Saturday.
The reports suggest that North Korea may be seeking to legitimize the troop deployment to its people to prevent dissent, after the deployment has resulted in thousands of casualties.