N. KOREA SAID TO STRENGTHEN MILITARY TIES WITH MOSCOW

Japan's Defense Agency said North Korea is strengthening military ties with the Soviet Union and this includes the purchase of advanced fighters such as MIG 29s and missiles. In return, North Korea has allowed Soviet military aircraft to fly through its air space on the route between Vladivostok and Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam.

Soviet Union and North Korea have staged joint naval exercises in the Sea of Japan, the most recent being last October.