SEOUL -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will further strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, its top leader Kim Jong-un said in a congratulatory message to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In the message carried by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, extended his New Year greetings to Putin. On behalf of himself, the DPRK people, and all the service personnel of the armed forces, he conveyed his best wishes to the Russian people and all the service personnel of the Russian military.

Noting that the past year has seen the traditional DPRK-Russia friendly relations reaching a new high, Kim expressed his willingness to strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, the report said.

In a New Year's message to Kim earlier this month, Putin said his country will continue coordinating with the DPRK to address shared challenges and threats in the coming year, a previous KCNA report said.