Kim Jong-un mourns ‘comrade’ Russian ambassador’s death as ‘great loss’

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a rare personal condolence to President Vladimir Putin over the sudden death of Alexander Matsegora, Russia’s ambassador to Pyongyang, lamenting his death as a “great loss,” state media reported Tuesday.

The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the Workers’ Party of Korea, ran Kim’s message alongside a separate condolence from Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui on its front page — a placement underscoring the value Pyongyang placed on Matsegora’s role in deepening North Korea-Russia ties.

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced Monday that Matsegora, who had served as Russia’s ambassador to North Korea since December 2014, died suddenly on Dec. 6 at the age of 70.

“Comrade Kim Jong-un said that losing Ambassador A. I. Matsegora so unexpectedly at a time when DPRK-Russia relations have entered a major historical phase is truly a most sorrowful matter," according to a Korean-language report carried by the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

The DPRK is the acronym for North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Kim also stated that "it represents a great loss not only for the Russian government and people, but also for himself and for the Korean people."

Kim’s condolence message over Matsegora’s death is highly unusual, as he typically issues such messages only after the deaths of national leaders or major disasters in North Korea’s traditional socialist allies — including China, Russia, Vietnam and Cuba.

“Comrade Kim Jong-un said that Comrade Matsegora was a close friend and comrade of the Korean people who devoted his entire life for more than 30 years to the development of DPRK-Russia friendship relations,” the Rodong Sinmun report read.

Kim went on to say that the devoted efforts of Matsegora "are vividly imbued in the course through which DPRK–Russia relations have been strengthened and developed into today’s firm allied relations."

Foreign Minister Choe on Monday sent a separate message of condolence to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over the death of Matsegora, The Rodong Sinmun reported Tuesday.

In the letter, Choe described Matsegora as a “precious comrade” and as a “powerful witness to and contributor to the history of DPRK–Russia friendly relations,” adding that the loss of Matsegora represents “a great loss for the peoples of both the DPRK and Russia.”

Matsegora’s diplomatic career was deeply rooted in the Korean Peninsula.

After entering the diplomatic service, he served as first secretary and head of the consular section at the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang in 1999, and later as consul-adviser at the Russian Consulate General in Busan until 2003. Matsegora became counselor and head of the Korea Division at the Russian Foreign Ministry’s First Asia Department, before returning to Pyongyang as minister-counselor from 2006 to 2011.

In December 2014, he was appointed Russia’s ambassador to North Korea, a post he held until his death.