More than 13,000 North Koreans entered Russia last year, marking an over 12-fold yearly jump from 2023, official data shows, with the number of DPRK citizens visiting the country on student visas once again marked an all-time high.

Over 6,400 Russians visited North Korea in the same period — the highest number since 2012 when 6,636 Russian nationals entered the country, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) revealed on Tuesday.

The 13,221 North Koreans entering Russia in 2024 marked a six-year high since 2019, when 21,500 DPRK citizens set foot in the country.

In the fourth quarter of 2024,