ISTANBUL

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang to express his condolences over the death of Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Matsegora, state media reported Thursday.

Kim's visit, which took place Wednesday, followed the North's confirmation of the ambassador's sudden death last Saturday.

Kim "laid a bunch of flowers and observed a moment's silence in memory of Aleksandr Ivanovich Matsegora, who devoted his noble life to boosting and developing the DPRK-Russia friendship," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, referring to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea’s official name.

Kim also met with the bereaved family and embassy staff, offering his heartfelt condolences.

He praised Matsegora as "an able diplomat" who made significant contributions to the history of North Korea and Russia’s friendly relations.

Kim further said that his death is "a deep sorrow and great loss" not only to Russia but also to North Korea, particularly during a time when the two nations are entering "an important historic phase" in the development of their relationship.

"Even though he passed away, our respect and memories of him will last forever and DPRK-Russia relations continue to develop as he hoped," Kim added, according to KCNA.

Matsegora had been serving as Russia's ambassador to North Korea for over a decade before his sudden death at the age of 70, with the cause still unknown.

North Korea’s ties with Russia have grown closer in recent years, including its deployment of troops in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

In September, during a meeting with Kim in the Chinese capital Beijing, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged for the first time that North Korean soldiers took part in the Ukraine war at Kim's initiative.

In April, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service told lawmakers that at least 600 North Korean troops had been killed while fighting alongside Russian forces against Ukraine.

It said North Korea had likely suffered more than 4,700 casualties since its troops began participating in the conflict last year.

North Korea and Russia signed a comprehensive strategic partnership last year, pledging mutual military support if either came under attack by a third party.