In a message to North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un on Sunday, Rouhani offered his “sincerest congratulations” to him and his country on their national day.
“I hope that through the will of the senior officials of the two states and by taking advantage of the existing potentials, we would witness further development of relations between the two countries in all fields of mutual interest,” he noted.
He also wished health and success for Kim and prosperity and felicity for the people of North Korea.
Independence Day, or national day, is one of the most important festivities in North Korea. This day, observed on 9 September, marks the founding of the DPRK and its liberation from the Soviet occupation in 1948.
In the aftermath of World War II, Korea was separated into two countries. The southern part was subjected to American rule, while the northern part was controlled by the Soviet Union.
In 1948, however, leader Kim Il-sung managed to take over the reins of North Korea and oust the Soviet leadership.
