ANKARA

North Korea has introduced the Russian language as a compulsory subject in schools amid deepening ties between Moscow and Pyongyang.

Alexander Kozlov, Russia's minister of natural resources and environment and also the co-chair of the Russia-North Korea intergovernmental commission, confirmed the development, saying that over 3,000 Russian students are currently learning the Korean language, news agency Interfax reported on Thursday.

"Russian has been introduced as a compulsory language in North Korean schools starting in the fourth grade. In Russia, more than 3,000 schoolchildren are currently studying Korean. Most of them are studying Korean as a second or third foreign language," Kozlov said.

According to the Russian minister, the two countries are also cooperating in other sectors, including banking, energy, and medical education.

North Korea has grown closer ties with Russia in recent years, including the deployment of troops in the ongoing Moscow-Kyiv war.

In September, during a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un 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 the 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 Pyongyang 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.