Editor’s note: This is the fourth article in a multipart series examining the history of North Korea’s relationship with the Soviet Union and Russia and what it reveals about bilateral ties today.

Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine, North Korea has pushed to take advantage of the situation and bolster ties with Moscow, and it’s increasingly clear that bilateral relations are entering a new era.

In fact, this is the third distinct period in Pyongyang-Moscow ties since the collapse of the communist bloc, and a closer look at what came before can shed light on what is to come.

The