N.Korean leader Kim stresses close ties with Russia ahead of Alaska summit

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has emphasized his country's close ties with Russia. State-run Korean Central Television reported that Kim delivered a speech at a ceremony held on Thursday in Pyongyang to mark the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japanese colonial rule 80 years ago.

He said the friendship between the two countries has developed into an unprecedented alliance, adding that the two peoples will share a great honor reserved for victors. At a ceremony held the day before the anniversary, Speaker of Russia's parliamentary lower house Vyacheslav Volodin read out a congratulatory message from Putin.