Kim Jong Un sends sympathy messages over Iran blasts, Japan earthquake

Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), sent messages of sympathy over the deadly bombings in Iran and earthquake in Japan respectively on Friday.

Two bomb blasts in Iran claimed by Islamic State killed nearly 100 people on Wednesday, while nearly 100 people died in Japan's devastating earthquake on New Year's Day, with over 200 people still missing.

In his message to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Kim expressed deep condolences and sympathy to the Iranian president and, through him, to the Iranian government and people and the bereaved families and victims, upon heavy casualties caused by recent terrorist bomb attacks in Kerman Province of Iran, the Korean Central News Agency reported.

He said the DPRK government consistently opposed all sorts of terrorism, and expressed hope that "stability would be brought to the bereaved families and victims as soon as possible."

In his message to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Kim expressed deep sympathy and condolences to the prime minister and the bereaved families and victims, noting that significant casualties and material losses were caused by earthquakes in Japan from the outset of 2024.

Kim said he hoped that "the people in the affected areas would eradicate the aftermath of earthquakes and restore their stable life at the earliest date possible."

(Cover: File photo of Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, delivers a speech during the 9th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang, the DPRK. /CFP)