North Korea says US and allies' criticism of its ties with Russia 'distorted'

FILE PHOTO: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un welcomes Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a meeting in Pyongyang, North Korea, October 19, 2023. Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Saturday it was the "steadfast will" of Pyongyang to expand ties with Russia, criticising a recent condemnation by the United States and its allies on Pyongyang's suspected arms deliveries to Russia as politicised and distorted.

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui denounced military cooperation between the U.S., South Korea and Japan, and said Pyongyang's relations with Moscow will act as a "powerful strategic" element if security in the region is endangered.