North Korea ratifies major defense pact with Russia

North Korea ratified a major defense pact with Russia, which includes a provision committing both nations to mutual military assistance in the event of an attack on either side, state-run media reported on Tuesday.

According to the Korean Central News Agency, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed the decree on Monday.

"The ‘Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation’ signed in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024 was ratified as a decree of the President of the State Affairs of the DPRK," the agency said in its short report.