REUTERS
April 24, 2024 at 10:45 JST
North Korea's Ambassador to Iran, Han Sung-o, meets with Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi at a ceremony to mark the 43rd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran February 10, 2022. (West Asia News Agency/ via REUTERS )
SEOUL--A North Korean delegation led by the cabinet minister for international trade is visiting Iran, the North’s official media said on Wednesday in a rare public report of an exchange between the two countries believed to have secret military ties.
The minister for external economic relations, Yun Jong Ho, left Pyongyang on Tuesday by air leading a ministry delegation to visit Iran, the North’s KCNA news agency said. It gave no other detail.
North Korea and Iran have long been suspected of cooperating on ballistic missile programs, possibly exchanging technical expertise and components that went into their manufacture.
Iran has provided a large number of ballistic missiles to Russia for use in its war with Ukraine, Reuters reported in February.
North Korea is also suspected of supplying Russia with missiles and artillery, although both countries have denied the allegation.
Yun has previously worked on the country’s ties with Syria, according to South Korean government database.
Yun has been active in the country’s increasing exchanges with Russia, earlier this month leading a delegation to visit Moscow, according to KCNA.
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