This photo, published by the Korean Central News Agency, Nov. 23, shows Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev, left, arriving in Pyongyang the previous day. Yonhap

North Korea and Russia have signed a protocol on enhancing sports exchanges for next year, the North's state media said Monday, as the two nations have been bolstering cooperation in various fields.

Kim Il-guk, North Korea's minister of physical culture and sports, signed the protocol with Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev in Pyongyang the previous day, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

While details of the protocol were not disclosed, the KCNA said that Kim and Degtyarev discussed ways to expand and enhance exchanges and cooperation between the two countries' sports sectors during their talks.

The Russian Embassy in North Korea announced the Russian sports minister's visit in a Facebook post last Friday, saying the agreement he planned to sign with North Korea would include joint sports events, the nurturing of expert workforces and sports tourism.

Since signing a "strategic partnership treaty" in June, the two countries have expanded bilateral cooperation in various sectors, including the military, economy and sports.

Koo Byoung-sam, spokesperson at South Korea's unification ministry, stressed that North Korea-Russia military and economic cooperation includes multiple violations of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions resolutions, urging an immediate halt to such activities.

"We call for compliance with UNSC resolutions and once again urge an immediate halt to any illegal exchanges," Koo said during a press briefing.

Following the treaty between Pyongyang and Moscow, North Korea deployed thousands of troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine and also supplied weapons to Russia, including rocket launchers and artillery systems.

Experts have raised concerns that the North's close alignment with Russia could allow Pyongyang to bypass international sanctions by securing rewards from Moscow. (Yonhap)