North Korea's Birthday Greetings to Putin Reveal 'Closest Comrade' and 'New All-Round Development': Strengthening Ties with China and Russia and Deepening Hostility Towards South Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a congratulatory message to Russian President Vladimir Putin on his 72nd birthday on October 7, once again demonstrating the close relationship between the two countries to the world. According to the Korean Central News Agency, Kim Jong Un referred to Putin as his "closest comrade" in the message and emphasized that relations between the two countries had entered a "new trajectory of comprehensive development" since Putin's visit to Pyongyang in June. This congratulatory message is not merely a ceremonial act. It is a message of significant importance in deeply understanding the international situation surrounding North Korea, particularly its relationship with China and Russia, and the change in its stance toward South Korea.

Strengthening Relations with China and Russia: Military and Economic Cooperation and Escape from International Isolation

In his congratulatory message, Kim Jong Un described the relationship with Russia as an "unconquerable alliance based on the common ideal of realizing autonomy and justice, a strategic relationship for a hundred years," and expressed "full support and solidarity" for the Russian army and people. This is a clear expression of support for Russia, which continues its invasion of Ukraine, and suggests that military cooperation between the two countries is deepening. In fact, North Korea and Russia concluded a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty" in June, which can be considered a de facto military alliance, and are believed to be proceeding with specific cooperation, such as military technological cooperation and weapons supply. Russia hopes to secure the supply of artillery shells and other ammunition from North Korea to alleviate its shortage of weapons and ammunition due to the prolonged war in Ukraine, while North Korea, under economic sanctions, needs economic support and military technology from Russia. Furthermore, North Korea is also working to strengthen its relationship with China. In September, a Chinese delegation headed by Vice Premier Liu Guozhong visited North Korea and attended the 70th anniversary ceremony of the Korean War armistice. However, in the congratulatory message that Kim Jong Un sent to President Xi Jinping, the word "respected" was omitted from the expression "respected General Secretary Comrade" used in 2019, suggesting that the relationship with China is not as close as that with Russia. It is believed that North Korea is attempting to escape international isolation and overcome its economic hardship caused by economic sanctions by strengthening its relationship with both China and Russia.

Deepening Hostility toward South Korea: Positioning South Korea as the "Main Enemy" and Abandoning Unification Policy

On the other hand, the Kim Jong Un regime is strengthening its hostile stance toward South Korea. At the end of 2023, the plenary session of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea declared the "abandonment of the ideology and line of national reunification," which had been advocated for a long time since the division of the Korean Peninsula, and positioned South Korea as the "number one enemy country, the unchanging main enemy." The background to this includes the South Korean Yoon Suk-yeol administration's strengthening of its hardline stance toward the North, and the increased military tension between North Korea and the US and South Korea due to North Korea's nuclear and missile development. North Korea is believed to be trying to maintain its regime by refusing dialogue with South Korea, repeating military provocations, causing unrest and confusion in South Korean society, and shaking the unity of the US-South Korea alliance.

What Kim Jong Un's Birthday Congratulatory Message to President Putin Shows: North Korea's Strategy and Future Prospects

Kim Jong Un's congratulatory message to President Putin clearly shows North Korea's strategy to strengthen cooperation with China and Russia and expand its influence in the international community. At the same time, it suggests the possibility of further strengthening its hostile stance toward South Korea and increasing tension on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea's nuclear and missile development, military cooperation with China and Russia, and hostile policy toward South Korea are serious problems that destabilize the security environment in Northeast Asia. The international community needs to monitor North Korea's movements and respond in a coordinated manner. In particular, Japan, which is directly threatened by North Korea's missile development, needs to strengthen the trilateral security cooperation between Japan, the US, and South Korea to deter North Korea's provocative actions. Furthermore, to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, it is essential to keep the channels of dialogue open and continue efforts toward North Korea's denuclearization in cooperation with the international community.