North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Calls 2025 a “Year of Victory” in New Year’s Message to Putin

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has extended New Year’s greetings to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, expressing support for Russia’s “heroic army” and calling 2025 a “year of great victory.” The message was reported by North Korea’s state media outlet KCNA.

In the letter, Kim addressed the Russian people as a “brotherly nation” and emphasized solidarity with Russian military forces. He described them as a “heroic army” and wished them success in their ongoing endeavors.

Additionally, Kim expressed optimism for strengthening the strategic partnership between North Korea and Russia, highlighting that the two nations had elevated their relations to a new level through joint projects over the past year.

The North Korean leader conveyed his hopes for Putin’s success in what he termed the Russian president’s “responsible and challenging state leadership.” He also extended his wishes for prosperity, well-being, and happiness to the Russian people.

Kim’s remarks further emphasized a commitment to advancing bilateral relations, signaling readiness for future collaboration on shared goals.

Russia and North Korea signed a strategic partnership agreement, marking a significant step in their growing alliance. As part of this agreement, North Korea sent 100,000 of its troops to the Kursk region, where they are now directly involved in clashes with Ukrainian forces.

Earlier, it was reported that North Korean troops in the Kursk region sustained 1,000 casualties, both dead and wounded, in the past week alone, according to US estimates.