North Korean leader expressed condolences to Assad, bypassed Turkey

North Korean President Kim Jong-un sent a message of condolences to Damascus over the earthquakes that caused extensive destruction in 10 provinces in Turkey and northern Syria. Notably, Kim, who expressed his condolences to Syrian leader Bashar Assad, skipped Turkey.

While the death toll in the regions controlled by the Assad government and the opposition in Syria exceeded 2,500, the total number of wounded was close to 5,000.

For his part, Kim, who attended the 75th anniversary event of the Korean People’s Army in the capital Pyongyang yesterday with his family, reiterated that they will increase North Korea’s military might.

The North Korean leader, who has been attending the event with his daughter and his wife, who has recently been in the public eye, said: “We will redouble our efforts for the development of our socialist homeland.”