The Russian ambassador to North Korea has died at the age of 70, as announced by the Foreign Ministry on Monday, although the cause of his death has not been revealed.

Ambassador Alexander Matsegora was last seen publicly just a week ago, interacting with Russian university students studying Korean in Moscow. Photos shared by the Foreign Ministry depicted him delivering a lecture and engaging with faculty members.

In its announcement regarding Matsegora’s passing, the Foreign Ministry commended him for his “significant contributions to the establishment and strengthening of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and North Korea.”

Last year, President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un formalized an agreement promising mutual support in the event of “aggression,” reflecting the growing ties between the two nations as they faced challenges from the West.

After the partnership agreement was signed, North Korea deployed thousands of its troops to Russia’s Kursk region to assist in countering a Ukrainian offensive.

Matsegora was appointed as ambassador to North Korea in 2014. Prior to this, he was Deputy Director of the Foreign Ministry’s First Asian Department, a position he held following a five-year tenure as counselor- envoy at the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang.

In February 2024, Putin bestowed upon the late diplomat the esteemed Order of Alexander Nevsky.