Seoul, Feb 8 (IANS): North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent condolences to his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad over the deadly earthquake that has killed nearly 8,000 in Turkey and Syria, Pyongyang's state media said on Wednesday.

In the message sent to President Assad on Tuesday, Kim voiced his condolences to victims of the powerful quake that struck the northern region of Syria, according to the North's state-run radio network Korean Central Broadcasting Station.

"I am sure that under your leadership, the Syrian government and the people will overcome damage from the quake as quickly as possible and the lives of affected people will be stabilized," Yonhap News Agency quoted the message as saying.

Syria is one of several nations with which the North has maintained friendly ties amid multiple UN sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs.

Meanwhile, there have been no reports from the North's state media over whether Kim has also sent a message of condolences to Turkey, which sustained heavier damage from Monday's 7.8-magnitude quake.