North Korea, Russia agree to boost law enforcement cooperation

North Korea and Russia have agreed to boost exchanges and cooperation in law enforcement following high-level talks held in Pyongyang, state-run media reported Wednesday. A meeting took place Tuesday between North Korea's Public Security Minister Pang Tu-sop and Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev at the Assembly Hall in the North Korean capital, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

Cooperation areas

During the meeting, discussions focused on sharing achievements and experiences in law enforcement as well as exploring ways to expand bilateral cooperation between security and internal affairs agencies. The talks were described as taking place in a "friendly atmosphere," underscoring growing ties between the two countries. Kolokoltsev arrived in Pyongyang for a working visit on Monday.

Strategic partnership

Over the past decade, Russia and North Korea have developed a comprehensive strategic partnership formalized by a treaty in 2024. The two countries pledged mutual military support if either comes under attack by a third party.

Military cooperation

In August 2025, North Korea sent around 1,000 military engineers to Russia's Kursk region to assist Russian forces in clearing land mines planted during fighting with Ukrainian troops. The deployment followed an earlier dispatch of an estimated 15,000 combat troops to support Russia's war effort, according to South Korea's spy agency, which claims that North Korea lost 2,000 troops in the war.

Regional context

The cooperation comes amid heightened regional tensions following North Korea's recent test-fire of five short-range tactical ballistic missiles. Leader Kim Jong-un expressed "great satisfaction" with the launch, which verified the characteristics of cluster bomb and fragmentation mine warheads.