Diplomatic Loss: Russias North Korea Envoy Passes Away at 70

The Russian ambassador to North Korea has died at the age of 70, as announced by the Foreign Ministry on Monday, though the cause of death has not been revealed.

Ambassador Alexander Matsegora had been seen publicly as recently as last Tuesday, engaging with Russian university students enrolled in Korean language courses in Moscow. Official photos from the Foreign Ministry captured him delivering a lecture and conversing with educators.

In its statement regarding Matsegora’s passing, the Russian Foreign Ministry lauded the diplomat for his «significant contributions to the formation and strengthening of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and North Korea.»

Last year, President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a pact that promises mutual support in the event of «aggression» against either nation. This strategic agreement paved the way for closer ties as both countries became increasingly united in their opposition to Western pressures.

Following this partnership agreement, North Korea dispatched thousands of troops to Russia’s Kursk region to assist in countering a Ukrainian offensive.

Matsegora was appointed as ambassador to North Korea in 2014. Prior to that, he held the position of Deputy Director of the Foreign Ministry’s First Asian Department and spent five years serving as the counsellor-envoy at the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang.

In February 2024, President Putin honored the late diplomat with the esteemed Order of Alexander Nevsky.