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North Korea delegation visits Iran in rare public trip

April 24, 2024

A North Korean Cabinet minister who led a delegation visit to Moscow earlier this month is in Iran, according to Pyongyang state media.

https://p.dw.com/p/4f75E
North Korean External Economic Relations Minister Yun Jong Ho seen during a wreath laying ceremony during an earlier visit to Russia on March 29
Yun Jong Ho, North Korea's minister for external economic relations, reportedly traveled to Iran this weekImage: Alexander Ryumin/ITAR-TASS/IMAGO

North Korean state news agency KCNA reported on Wednesday that a high-level economic delegation was visiting Iran.

The rare public visit signals increased cooperation between two states that are believed to have secret military ties.

The visiting officials are led by External Economic Relations Minister Yun Jong Ho. He has been active in the country's increasing exchanges with Russia, leading a delegation to visit Moscow earlier this month, according to KCNA.

In a one-sentence dispatch, which did not provide more details, KCNA said the delegation had left for Iran on Monday.

Closer ties with Russia

The visit comes as Pyongyang bolsters its military ties with Moscow.

South Korea claims that the North has sent some 7,000 containers to Russia for its war in Ukraine. This is allegedly in exchange for Moscow's technical assistance for North Korea's budding spy satellite.

Both North Korea and Russia have denied the allegations.

Russia recently also used its United Nations Security Council veto power to disrupt UN sanctions monitoring on North Korea amid a probe into the alleged arms transfers. Kim Jong Un's regime expressed its thanks after the vote.

Iran and Russia have close military ties and are political allies. Russia has been known to use Iranian-made drones in its war in Ukraine. 

mk/sms (AFP, Reuters)