SEOUL, June 17. /TASS/. The number of bilateral exchanges between Russia and North Korea reached record highs in 2024, Yonhap said, citing South Korea’s Unification Ministry.

According to the agency, in 2024, there were 18 exchanges involving officials of the vice-minister level or higher between the two countries.

The exchanges included North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui’s meeting with her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow in January, and Vice Public Security Minister Ri Song Chol's visit to Moscow on June 11. "Among the 18 high-level exchanges this year, 15 involved North Korean officials visiting Russia, the ministry said," the news agency reported.

Bilateral exchanges between Russia and North Korea have intensified since the second half of 2023. In September, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited Russia. His talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin took place at the Vostochny spaceport on September 13. The North Korean leader invited his Russian colleague to visit the republic.