North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has decorated returning soldiers and posthumously honored those killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. The announcement, carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Friday, highlighted Pyongyang’s growing military alignment with Moscow.
At an emotional ceremony, Kim met with families of fallen troops, offering hugs and laying flowers at a memorial wall honoring North Korean soldiers who died abroad. A state banquet and concert were also held for returning soldiers and bereaved relatives, reinforcing the regime’s portrayal of their sacrifices as part of a larger historic mission.
KCNA quoted Kim as saying the “combat activities of overseas operational forces proved without regret the power of the heroic [North Korean] army” and described the “liberation of Kursk” as evidence of his troops’ unwavering fighting spirit.
South Korean intelligence estimates that about 600 North Korean soldiers were killed and thousands more wounded while deployed in Russia’s Kursk region, where they were sent in 2024. Western and Seoul-based agencies believe Pyongyang provided not only manpower but also artillery shells, missiles, and long-range rocket systems to support Russia’s offensive in Ukraine.
The developments come as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for negotiations to end the war, holding talks with both Moscow and Kyiv in recent days. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who recently praised North Korean troops as “heroic,” has continued to escalate attacks and has so far avoided meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for peace talks.
Russia and North Korea have steadily strengthened ties in recent years. A mutual defence pact signed in 2024 during Putin’s visit to Pyongyang underscored the two nations’ deepening partnership, raising fresh concerns among Western allies over the trajectory of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
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