Russia’s ambassador to North Korea has passed away at the age of 70, the Foreign Ministry said Monday, without disclosing the cause of his death.
Ambassador Alexander Matsegora was seen in public as recently as last Tuesday, when he met with Russian university students taking Korean language courses in Moscow. Photos released by the Foreign Ministry showed him giving a lecture and talking with instructors.
In announcing Matsegora’s death, Russia’s Foreign Ministry praised the late diplomat as having made “significant contributions to the establishment and deepening of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and North Korea.”
President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed an agreement last year that pledges mutual aid if either country faces “aggression,” a strategic pact that came as both countries had grown closer amid their standoff with the West.
Following the signing of that partnership deal, Pyongyang sent thousands of its troops to Russia’s Kursk region to fend off a Ukrainian offensive there.
Matsegora was appointed ambassador to North Korea in 2014. Before that, he served as Deputy Director of the Foreign Ministry’s First Asian Department, a post he took up after a five-year stint as counsellor-envoy at the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang.
Putin awarded the late diplomat the prestigious Order of Alexander Nevsky in February 2024.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
