Seoul, Dec 27 (NationPress) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has conveyed New Year’s greetings to Russian President Vladimir Putin, referring to the relationship between their nations as a “precious common asset,” according to state media reports on Saturday.

In his message, Kim characterized the past year as “meaningful,” highlighting how both countries have “steadily written a great biography of the alliance” through “full mutual support and selfless encouragement,” as reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

This greeting follows Putin's own New Year’s message to Kim, sent on December 18.

Kim asserted, “I believe that today’s DPRK-Russia alliance ... serves as a precious common asset to be preserved not only in this era but also for generations to come.” He used the acronym for North Korea’s official title, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

He emphasized that the North-Russia relationship has evolved into a “sincerest alliance of sharing blood, life and death in the same trench,” referencing North Korean troop deployments to support Russia in its conflict with Ukraine, as reported by Yonhap.

“No one can sever the ties between our two nations, bolstered by a resolute determination to defend the just aspirations of our times and correct the course of history,” he stated.

Previously, on December 25, Putin had sent a New Year’s greeting to Kim, commending North Korea’s “heroic” troop contributions to Russia's military efforts in Ukraine.

North Korea and Russia have been strengthening their military collaboration since the signing of a “comprehensive strategic partnership” treaty during the summit in Pyongyang in June 2024. Since last year, North Korea has dispatched approximately 15,000 combat troops to aid Moscow in its conflict with Ukraine.