PYONGYANG, Aug. 16 -- On the same day that South Korea's president stood in Seoul and called on North Korea to open formal talks to end the Korean War, Kim Jong Un sent a message to Vladimir Putin pledging a "more excellent future" for Russian-North Korean ties.

The exchange produced the clearest statement yet of where Pyongyang's diplomatic loyalties lie in August 2026.

Putin had sent the first message on Friday, a telegram congratulating Kim Jong Un on the 81st anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule. The Russian president described the bilateral relationship as having reached "an unprecedentedly high level of comprehensive strategic partnership." He told Kim that Moscow and Pyongyang were "actively cooperating o...