N. Korean leader discusses military ties with visiting Russian vice defense minister

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has discussed the importance of military cooperation with the Russian vice defense minister, state media reported Friday, amid Pyongyang's deepening military alignment with Moscow. Kim met with a Russian military delegation, headed by Aleksey Krivoruchko in Pyongyang on Thursday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Krivoruchko has become the first Russian military official to visit North Korea since Kim held summit talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang last month. "The talk shared recognition of the importance and necessity of the military cooperation between the two countries to defend mutual security interests," the KCNA said. Source: Yonhap News Agency