N. Korean leader pays tribute to Soviet soldiers amid deepening Russia ties

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has paid tribute to Soviet soldiers who fought against Japan during World War II to mark Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule, vowing to further strengthen ties with Russia, Pyongyang's state media reported Saturday. Kim visited the Liberation Tower in Pyongyang on Friday, a day before the 81st anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, the North's Korean Central News Agency said. Kim laid a wreath bearing the phrase, "We will