Overview
- State media said Kim visited the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang on Dec. 10 to honor Ambassador Aleksandr Matsegora.
- Kim laid flowers, observed a moment of silence, met the bereaved family and embassy staff, and praised Matsegora as an able diplomat and close friend.
- Kim also sent a telegram of condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- Senior North Korean figures, including Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, Defense Minister No Kwang-chol, Workers’ Party international director Kim Song-nam, and top military official Pak Jong Chon, paid their respects.
- Matsegora, 70, had served as ambassador since 2014 during a period of deepening ties typified by a 2024 comprehensive strategic partnership and Putin’s visit to Pyongyang, and officials have not released a cause of death.