SEOUL - The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Russia came into force, after the ratification instruments of the treaty were exchanged in Moscow on Wednesday, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Thursday.

The treaty has an effect starting Dec 4, 2024 when the ratification instruments were exchanged according to Article 22 of the treaty, and as a result, the treaty of friendship, good neighborliness and cooperation the two countries concluded on Feb 9, 2000 became invalid, the KCNA report said.

The report called the new treaty "a legal framework for realizing the far-reaching plan of the state leadership of the two countries and the desire of the two peoples", saying it puts bilateral relations on a new strategic level.