North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reiterated his "unwavering will" to develop relations with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Describing their recent summit in Pyongyang as a "historic event," Kim sent a congratulatory message to Xi on the occasion of the 105th founding anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
In the message, announced by the state news agency KCNA on Wednesday, Kim said, "The unwavering stance of our party and government is to steadily develop the North Korea-China friendly relations, which have long and historical roots and are based on socialism."
Kim said, "The recent Pyongyang summit was a historic opportunity that deepened the comradely friendship and trust between us," and stated that he once again confirmed that the two leaders have an "unwavering will" to advance bilateral relations.
According to South Korea's official Yonhap news agency, Xi's visit to Pyongyang on June 8-9 was the first trip by a Chinese leader to North Korea in about seven years.
In his message, Kim also emphasized that North Korea-China relations are "a common heritage of the two peoples." During the summit, the two leaders were reported to have approved a document described by North Korean state media as a "comprehensive plan" to strengthen the "strongest and strategic relations."
According to Chinese state media, during his visit, Xi pushed for closer cooperation with North Korea in diplomatic, law enforcement, and military fields.
Although North Korea has developed an extremely close relationship with Russia in recent years and sent thousands of troops to the war in Ukraine, China remains the country's biggest economic partner. According to data from South Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance, approximately 98% of North Korea's foreign trade in 2024 was conducted with China.
Ukraine and South Korea discuss North Korean prisoners of war
Separately, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met with his South Korean counterpart Cho Hyun in Seoul on Tuesday. According to Yonhap, the two ministers discussed bilateral relations as well as the situation of North Korean prisoners of war captured in Ukraine.
Yonhap stated that two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces in 2025 expressed a desire to defect to South Korea if released.
The South Korean government has declared that it considers North Korean soldiers "constitutionally to be South Korean citizens" and that Seoul "will accept prisoners who wish to come to South Korea."
A senior South Korean Foreign Ministry official said, according to Yonhap, that Seoul and Kiev have "already reached a basic understanding" on the issue of prisoners of war and expressed hope that these discussions would advance during the Ukrainian minister's visit.
