N. Korea's top diplomat sends condolence message to quake

North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui / Korea Times file

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui has sent a letter of condolence to her Turkish counterpart over a devastating earthquake that struck the nation, Pyongyang's state media reported Thursday.

In the message sent to Mevlut Cavusoglu the previous day, Choe expressed her condolences for the victims and their families, and voiced hope for the country's speedy recovery from the quake, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Turkey, Syria quake toll tops 17,500, cold compounds misery 2023-02-09 08:51  |  World

This photo, captured from North Korea's Central TV on Feb. 7, shows news coverage of the devastating earthquake in Turkey. Newsis

The message came a day after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a letter to President Bashar al-Assad delivering his condolences to Syria, which was also struck by the quake.

North Korea is known to maintain closer ties with Syria than Turkey, with the latter having fought alongside the South during the 1950-53 Korean War as part of the United Nations Command. (Yonhap)