On October 11, local time, according to Russian media reports, Medvedev, who was visiting Pyongyang, had a meeting with Kim Jong-un, which this time came to be a bit special. He did not represent the highest level of Russia, but participated in the 80th anniversary of the founding of the North Korean Labor Party as the chairman of the unified Russian Party.

On the surface, it may seem like an inter-party exchange, but the actual action is not simple-he brought a special gift: more than a dozen original Soviet and Korean historical archives, which contain letters written by Kim Il Sung to Stalin.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, many historical documents were sealed in the Russian archives, involving sensitive content such as communication between Kim Jong Un and Stalin before the Korean War, and strategic coordination between Moscow and Pyongyang.

Only after partial declassification in the mid-1990s did academic circles realize how close the relationship between the Soviet Union and North Korea was at that time. By taking out these originals now, Russia is redefining the historical relationship between the two sides.

Kim Jong-un looked very carefully during the reception and listened carefully to Medvedev's introduction of the origin of each file. At this time, Russia dug out these old accounts and chose the timing carefully-after all, Russia-North Korea relations are now at a critical stage, and it is necessary to find some historical basis for this new type of alliance.

From a specific perspective, Medvedev¡¯s visit does not really compare to the previous high-ranking Russian officials, nor to the high-ranking delegation sent by China and Vietnam.But the ¡°historical package¡± sent by the Russian side is not light.Russia is now so close, reversing the documents of the Soviet era, both in emphasizing the long-term origin of friendship between the two sides, and also in covering a layer of ¡°traditional¡± coat to the current close cooperation.

Medvedev greeted Putin and thanked North Korea for sending troops to support the Russian military operation, while Kim Jong-un held a banquet, calling the visit ¡°an opportunity to upgrade Russian-Russian relations.¡±

Most importantly, the two sides restored the title "comrade". This term is not used casually-starting from the second half of 2023, Russia and North Korea have interacted frequently. After formally signing a treaty with the nature of a military alliance in June 2024, Kim Jong-un even called Putin his "closest comrade."

After all, this is a real exchange of interests. Starting in the second half of 2023, North Korea supplied Russia with a large number of weapons and ammunition and sent about 15,000 troops to help Russia. In June this year, North Korea pledged another 6,000. In return, Russia sent energy and food to North Korea, while providing military-technical support.

The effect of this technical support is visible. On April 25th this year, the DPRK held the launching ceremony of a new destroyer at Nanpu Shipyard. This 5,000-ton warship named Choe Hyon has many similarities with Russian-made ships in design and weapon configuration.

The South Korean military noted that the ship¡¯s construction cycle lasted only 400 days and was unusually fast, most likely supported by Russian technical drawings and construction experience.

Not only shipbuilding, but also North Korea's progress in the aerospace field has attracted attention. In the second half of this year, the South Korean intelligence department analyzed that North Korea received technical support from Russia in satellite research and development, and the research and development cycle was greatly shortened than expected. You know, satellite technology has always been a high-threshold project. North Korea can make a breakthrough in a short period of time, and the help of Russia must be indispensable behind it.

After arriving in Pyongyang, Medvedev posted an intriguing message on social media: "Time flies, friends are still company, and enemies shrink and tremble." This is to be put bluntly-the current combination of Russia and North Korea is making some countries feel uneasy.

From historical archives to military cooperation, from inter-party exchanges to substantive alliances, Russia-North Korea relations have heated up rapidly in just two years. The old documents Medvedev brought this time are on the surface of nostalgia, but are actually seeking historical legitimacy for the current close relationship.

North Korea needs Russia¡¯s technology and resources to strengthen its capabilities, and Russia needs North Korea¡¯s support on the international stage and on the actual battlefield.

How close will Russia and North Korea get next? Judging from the current rhythm, the cooperation between the two sides in military technology, energy supply, strategic cooperation and other fields will only deepen. The Soviet Union and the DPRK were allies back then, but now Russia and the DPRK have returned to this path, but the background of the times and interest demands have changed.