In June, the countries agreed to help each other in the event of an external attack.
The lower house of the Russian parliament, the Duma, has approved the partnership agreement between North Korea and Russia.
In June, the countries agreed to help each other in the event of an external attack. Putin and Kim signed the agreement in North Korea. At the time, it was said that the agreement would focus on peaceful defense.
Russia and North Korea have strengthened their relations during the war in Ukraine.
According to media reports, North Korea would have sent soldiers to support Russia in Ukraine. It is still very unclear how many troops have been sent, where they are and what their purpose is.
South Korean intelligence and the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday that North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia. Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte has not confirmed if they are in Ukraine. Russia has not confirmed the information. China says it has no information on the matter.
A stronger alliance agreement during the Cold War
North Korea and the then Soviet Union signed a friendship and assistance treaty in 1961, says a South Korean news agency Yonhap.
Then the countries agree on the so-called automatic military assistance, where one side offers military forces and other assistance without hesitation if the other side is the target of an armed attack.
When North Korea and Russia updated the bilateral relations agreement in 2000, there was no such clause. That agreement focused on economic, scientific and cultural cooperation.