North Korea has officially recognized the independence of the disputed territory in eastern Ukraine.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) said on Thursday that the North Korean government decided to recognize the independence of both the Donetsk People's Republic(DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic(LPR) in Ukraine.

The KCNA said North Korean foreign minister Choe Son-hui sent letters to her counterparts in both territories on Wednesday, expressing the North's intent to develop state-to-state relations with the countries.

The DPR and LPR are two Russian-backed breakaway entities in Ukraine's Donbas region.

North Korea is the third country after Russia and Syria to recognize the two pro-Russian separatist territories.

Ukraine immediately severed relations with Pyongyang over the move.

The Ukrainian foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that it considers the North's decision an attempt to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.