North Korea and Russia, which have forged closer ties as blood allies, are accelerating cooperation in disaster response, including personnel exchanges.

A delegation from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, led by Minister Alexander Kurenkov, arrived in Pyongyang on October 11, the Korean Central News Agency reported on October 12.

The agency stated that Kim Chol-nam, North Korea's Minister of State Disaster Management, and Vladimir Topekha, Minister-Counselor of the Russian Embassy in North Korea, greeted the delegation at Pyongyang International Airport.

According to Russia's state-run TASS news agency, this marks the first time a Russian emergency situations minister has visited North Korea.

Minister Kurenkov is scheduled to hold discussions in Pyongyang with North Korean Cabinet Premier Pak Thae-song and Disaster Management Minister Kim Chol-nam regarding cooperation in disaster prevention and management, TASS reported.

The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations is also reportedly planning to sign a joint action plan for 2027–2029 with North Korea's State Emergency Disaster Committee.

Since around their successive summit meetings in September 2023 and June 2024, North Korea and Russia have been strengthening all-out cooperation across politics, the military, the economy, culture, and disaster response.

A delegation from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations also visited Pyongyang in July of last year to inspect North Korea's disaster prevention and response systems, while discussing ways to cooperate in training firefighting and rescue specialists and in the science and technology sectors.

Earlier, in May 2024, the chairman of North Korea's State Emergency Disaster Committee attended the Integrated Safety 2024 exhibition for security equipment held in Moscow, and held talks with the Russian emergency situations minister on the sidelines.

In addition, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin recently issued an administrative order instructing the Ministry of Emergency Situations to conduct training for North Korean specialists at the Far Eastern Fire and Rescue School in Vladivostok, US-based North Korea-focused media outlet NK News reported on October 6.

This measure follows the "Agreement on Specialist Training and Scientific and Technological Cooperation" signed by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations and North Korea's Ministry of State Disaster Management in December of last year, with the Russian government planning to invest 61.5 million rubles (approximately 1 billion won) to operate the training program over the next five years.

North Korea, which frequently suffers from flood damage including major losses in the summer of 2024, is working internally to strengthen preventive measures.

(Photo: Capture from the Korean Central News Agency website, Pyongyang KCNA, Yonhap News)