Kim Jong Un's message to Queen Elizabeth II as Britain begins Platinum Jubilee celebrations
North Korea says its leader, Kim Jong Un, sent a letter congratulating Queen Elizabeth II as Britain began a four-day celebration marking her 70 years on the throne.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said on its website Thursday that Kim sent a letter congratulating the queen and the British people. It didn’t provide further details.
North Korea and Britain established diplomatic relations in 2000 and have maintained embassies in each other's capitals despite a steady decline in bilateral ties.
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FILE - In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, watches a military parade to mark the 90th anniversary of North Korea's army at the Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea on April 25, 2022. AP
North Korea’s relations with the West have worsened in recent years as it accelerated its nuclear weapons and missile development in a push to acquire an arsenal that could threaten the United States and its allies in Asia.
North Korea has criticised Britain in recent years for supporting international sanctions against the North over its nuclear ambitions and human rights record, and for participating in a new US-led alliance to help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines.
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Queen Elizabeth II watches with a smile from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Trooping the Color ceremony in London, Thursday, June 2, 2022, on the first of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. The events over a long holiday weekend in the U.K. are meant to celebrate the monarch's 70 years of service. (Jonathan Brady/Pool Photo via AP) AP
North Korea has conducted 17 rounds of missile tests in 2022, including its first intercontinental ballistic missile launches in nearly five years, as it pushes brinkmanship aimed at cementing its status as a nuclear power and negotiating economic and security concessions from a position of strength.
US and South Korean officials say there are signs North Korea is preparing to conduct its first test of a nuclear explosive device since 2017.
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