Claim : North Korea’s Kim Jong-un called Venezuelan President Maduro his “friend” and called for his immediate release.
Conclusion : The claim is false. While North Korea condemned US strikes and the reported capture of Maduro, there was no such statement made by Kim Jong-un. Other quotes attributed to Kim, including remarks about a world war and personal framing also seem fabricated.
Rating : Totally False — 
Several social media users have claimed that North Korea’s leader Kim Jung-un has called Venezuelan President Maduro his “friend” and called for his release immediately. Verified X user ‘CensoredHumans’ made such a claim, stating that Kim Jong-un issued a statement warning of a potential world war. It quotes Kim as saying, “This oppression will lead to a world war,” while calling Maduro “his friend” and demanding his immediate release, addressing former President Donald Trump and U.S. leadership.
The post gained over 1.7 million views and can be seen here:
After the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, the North Korean president issued a statement warning the United States of a potential world war.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said, “This oppression will lead to a world war.” He also called on former… pic.twitter.com/5sQCA5z3Aj
— Censored Humans (@CensoredHumans) January 3, 2026
Other users have made similar claims which can be seen here and here.
FACT CHECK
DigitEYE India investigated the claim and found it to be false. While North Korea has condemned U.S. strikes on Venezuela, Kim Jong-un did not make those statements. The quotes in the post are fabricated, and there is no confirmation of such remarks.
Details:
On January 3, 2026, U.S. special forces executed “Operation Absolute Resolve,” involving airstrikes and a raid on Maduro’s Caracas compound, capturing him and his wife on narco-terrorism charges. According to a report by Reuters, Maduro was transferred to New York for federal court appearance. U.S. President Donald Trump said that “We will run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago.
We first conducted a keyword search with the phrase “North Korea Kim Jong-un remarks on Maduro” to learn more. According to a report published by Reuters on January 4, 2026, Pyongyang’s Foreign Ministry denounced the capture as a “serious encroachment of sovereignty” labeling it a violation of international law.
Moreover, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry also said that the current situation in Venezuela “caused a catastrophic consequence to ensuring the identity of the regional and international relations structure.” View a section from the report below:
Another report published by NDTV also confirms these statements made by North Korea’s Foreign Ministry. They note how North Korea described Maduro’s removal as a “wanton violation of the UN Charter and international laws with respect for sovereignty, non-interference and territorial integrity as their main purpose”. Calling the U.S. nature “rogue and brutal,” North Korea has called for “voices of due protest.” View a section from the article below:
We then cross-checked the information by reviewing the original statement as seen below, published by North Korea on January 4, 2026, where there is no mention of remarks supporting Kim Jong-un referring to Maduro as his “friend.” There is also no specific quote from North Korea stating that “oppression will lead to a world war” or the “Venezuelan president must be released immediately.”
And finally Kim Jong-un picture used in the claim is taken from one of Kim’s old pictures while discussions were being held to bolster North Korea’s nuclear capabilities as seen here.
Thus, the claim is false.
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