North Korea’s relationship with Russia has deepened dramatically since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, evolving from a historically secondary partnership into one of the DPRK’s most consequential strategic alignments. Daily NK covers North Korea Russia relations across the full spectrum — arms transfers and munitions supplies to Russian forces, the deployment of North Korean troops to the Ukrainian front, economic and diplomatic dimensions of the partnership, and the implications for regional security and international sanctions. Our reporting draws on in-country sources, defector accounts, and open-source intelligence to track one of the most significant and rapidly evolving relationships in contemporary geopolitics.
Tag: russia
North Korea threatens asset seizure in crackdown on fuel smuggling
North Korean authorities have ordered a sweeping crackdown on illegal fuel trading, targeting Russian imports diverted onto the black market. Officials framed the order...
North Korea cuts English classes, expands Russian at foreign language schools
North Korea's Ministry of Education has ordered foreign language schools nationwide to cut back on English classes and expand Russian instruction. Sources link the...
Trump plays the Kim Jong Un card amid Seoul-Washington discord
Recently, South Korea-US relations have taken a troubling turn. After North Korea's military pushed ahead with fortification work along the Military Demarcation Line, including...
North Korea curbs cheap overseas labor dispatch
North Korean authorities have moved to revoke authorization for state agencies and trading companies to send workers abroad, and are also re-evaluating the profitability...
Missing relative sinks North Korean official’s shot at working in Russia
A North Korean trade official spent months preparing for a work assignment in Russia. Then, this month, he was disqualified at the final stage...
North Korea orders cabinet: take China’s cash, not its culture
North Korea has issued a new China directive to cabinet officials, ordering them to separate economic gains from ideological control even as Pyongyang seeks...
New Russia-tied directive stuns Nampo officials
North Korean authorities have ordered officials in Nampo to overhaul the city's administrative, industrial and public health systems to reflect deepening Russia ties, according...
North Korea revises criminal procedure law, mandates defense counsel
North Korea revised its criminal procedure law in 2022 and again in 2025. The changes shortened detention and investigation periods. They also required defense...
Pyongyang residents balk at overseas labor dispatch
Pyongyang residents are growing wary of volunteering for overseas labor dispatch in 2026, as fears of being sent near the front lines of Russia's...
North Korea marks Russia treaty anniversary with lectures glorifying troops killed...
North Korea held week-long ideological lectures for officials in June 2026 to mark the second anniversary of its comprehensive strategic partnership treaty with Russia,...
