North Korea’s Kim praises ‘unshakable will’ to establish ties with China’s Xi | Stories about Kim Jong Un

Kim Jong Un has sent Xi Jinping a message of thanks in commemoration of the 105th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to continue strengthening bonds and China and explained the latest a great meeting and Chinese President Xi Jinping as a “major milestone” in improving relations with its biggest neighbor.

In a speech of thanks to Xi on the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, Kim said Pyongyang’s intention is to gradually establish relations with Beijing, according to a report by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Wednesday.

“It is the determination of our party and the government to establish friendly relations between the DPRK and China with long and historical traditions and socialist culture as their foundation,” Kim said in the message, using the initials of the country’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“The recent summit in Pyongyang was a historic event to expand the relationship and trust between us,” Kim said, adding that the two leaders reaffirmed their “unshakable will” to advance their cooperation.

Xi is to Pyongyang on June 8 and 9 was North Korea’s first in nearly seven years, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.

Kim also said in his message to Xi that the North Korea-China relationship is “the common wealth of the people of the two countries”.

During Xi’s meeting with Kim, the two leaders adopted what North Korean media described as a “reach plan” to promote “a very strong and strategic relationship”.

Xi pushed for diplomatic, rule-making and military cooperation with North Korea during the visit, according to Chinese media.

Although North Korea has drawn closer to Russia in recent years, including signing a security pact that saw thousands of North Korean troops deployed to fight Russia in Ukraine, China remains North Korea’s largest economic partner.

According to South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, China will account for about 98 percent of North Korea’s trade in 2024.

Foreign ministers discuss North Korean POWs in Ukraine

On Tuesday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha was in South Korea’s capital, Seoul, to meet with his counterpart, Cho Hyun, to discuss bilateral relations and the fate of North Korean prisoners captured in Ukraine, Yonhap reported.

According to Yonhap, two North Korean soldiers who were captured by Ukrainian forces in 2025 have expressed their desire to leave South Korea if they are released by Ukraine.

South Korea says North Korean soldiers are “recognized as South Korean citizens”, Yonhap said, and the Seoul government said it would “accept any POWs who want to come to South Korea”.

A South Korean foreign ministry official said earlier this month that Seoul and Kyiv had “already reached an understanding” on the issue of POWs and hoped to advance the talks during the Ukrainian foreign minister’s visit, Yonhap added.