Russia's culture minister Olga Lyubimova met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang on June 29, 2025, and signed a 2025-2027 cultural cooperation agreement. Under the deal, North Korea's Mansudae Art Studio—which is under U.N. sanctions—will exhibit its work at a Moscow museum this summer. Lyubimova announced the exchange via Telegram on Monday, confirming the agreement with her DPRK counterpart Sung Jong Gyu.
This matters because it marks a significant cultural rapprochement between Russia and North Korea under their 'strategic partnership,' directly challenging U.N. sanctions that target the Mansudae Art Studio for generating revenue for the North Korean regime. The exhibition in Moscow signals Russia's willingness to bypass international restrictions, potentially undermining the sanctions regime and setting a precedent for other sanctioned cultural entities.